Local Arlene Hamilton Has a Blast for her 100th Birthday

Local senior and Loma Linda Emeritus resident Arlene Hamilton celebrated her 100th birthday Friday, Oct. 3. Hamilton was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. After graduating from Pawtucket High School she went off to Atlantic Union College in Massachusetts. After getting her degree and moving to various places, she settled in Texas where she obtained a teaching position at a local college and met her husband John T. Hamilton. They couple later moved to Riverside, Calif. to settle down and raise their son Tom. Hamilton moved to Emeritus in January of 2013 and according to Cindy Hamann, Activity Director at Emeritus, she has made many friends there. Carolyn Hamilton, her daughter-in-law, organized a get-together for her at Emeritus. According to Hamann, about 40 of Hamilton’s close friends and family dropped by to visit throughout the day, and that’s not including her friends at Emeritus. The event started at about 3 p.m., and went to about 8 p.m. “It was a big day for her,” Hamann said, chuckling. Although Hamann shared that Hamilton is quite well for being 100, they set her up in one place so that her visitors can go to her and she wouldn’t have to get up so much. One of her close family friends played piano for Hamilton. The family brought snacks like finger sandwiches and not just one, but two cakes for the birthday girl. Dining Director Valentine Santiago created an ice sculpture specially for Hamilton, engraving the number “100” in it. Surrounding the sculpture was fruit and all kinds of desserts. “It was quite festive,” Hamann shared.