Centenarian breakfast celebrates the young at heart

FAMILY FUN: Rose D’Orio (seated right), a native Johnstonian, was among the many Centenarians honored during last Friday’s RI Governor’s Centenarian Brunch held at The Bridge at Cherry Hill. She’s joined by her daughter Annette Piscopiello (left) and granddaughter Donna-Lee Wilson.

(Sun Rise photos by Pete Fontaine)

GRAND GREETERS: Maryann Grace (left), Executive Director at The Bridge at Cherry Hill, and staffers Jen Burns and … greeted Gov. Gina Raimondo last Friday morning in Johnston where she hosted the 40th Annual Governor’s Centenarian Brunch.

LINKED LEADERS: Gov. Gina Raimondo holds the microphone and tells an applauding audience how “I love this woman” — Maryann Grace of The Bridge at Cherry Hill – “who was my baby-sitter when I was growing up in Smithfield.

MARIO’S MARK: NBC-10 news anchor Mario Hilario (center) holds a special cutting board he received from Gov. Gina Raimondo and Charles Fogarty of the RI Department of Elderly Affairs during last Friday’s Governor’s Centenarians Brunch, which he has emceed for 20 of the event’s 40 years.

Johnston Sun Rise · Thursday, May 18, 2017 4:07 pm

By Pete Fontaine

The Governor’s annual Centenarian Brunch never gets old.

In fact, the 40th annual serving, which was held last Friday at The Bridge at Cherry Hill in Johnston, was filled with magical moments courtesy of Gov. Gina Raimondo.

From the time she proclaimed “This is my favorite event of the whole year; to be here with you and hear all your special stories and secrets for about your long, long lives.”

With assistance from Charles Fogarty, Director of RI’s Department of Elderly Affairs and emcee Mario Hilario of NBC-10 who has co-hosted half of the 40 Governor’s Brunch events, Raimondo paid special tribute to four Rhode Islanders during the lively program.

She presented Vera LaTorre and Emile Brassard special citations for being the oldest centenarians at 107 and 102 years old respectively.

Likewise, Raimondo honored Caroline Jacoby and Thomas Moran, both 99, the youngest in the crowd who qualified for the brunch because they’ll reach the Centenarian mark this year.

There were also many fun-filled moments, as the Governor honored her former babysitter Maryann Grace, the highly-respected Executive Director at The Bridge at Cherry Hill.

“I love this woman,” Raimondo said. “I grew up in Smithfield she was friends with my sister; that’s how she became my babysitter and I’ve loved her ever since.”

There were many marvelous moments during the brunch, which was prepared by Marvin Carter, The Bridge at Cherry Hill’s Executive Chef, and served by what Raimondo called “Maryann’s Super Staff” here in Johnston.

“Look at all the great food,” said Frank Castellone, a noted music man who went from table-to-table playing the accordion during the affair. “These people deserve to be treated like royalty; they’re the Queens and Kings of our state.”

As for the bountiful brunch, Carter and company pulled out all the stops, serving assorted Danish and muffins, fresh fruit, assorted cereal, scrambled eggs, friend eggs, cheese omelets, applewood bacon, oven-baked ham, pancakes, Belgian waffles home fries and of course, juice and coffee. The Governor’s Centenarian Brunch also included special stories at each of the round tables that were covered with linens and a flower centerpiece.

For example, Rose D’Orio – a native Johnstonian who in no way looked 102 – sat with her daughter, Annette Piscopiello, 82, and granddaughter Donna-Lee Wilson.

The three women had plenty of fun and reminisced about when she was married to the late Frank D’Orio for 50 years and that she worked with her husband in the family-owned and operated jewelry company.

The 40th anniversary of the Governor’s Annual Centenarian Brunch included a host of special stories and short speeches on a day when Raimondo also said “we are working every day to make life better and Rhode Island a better place to live for all of you.”