A special celebration for a special woman. Helen Blanchard, a resident at Oak Hammock at the University of Florida, turned 100 years old on Friday. Helen is the seventh Oak Hammock resident to reach the century mark. To celebrate, she enjoyed a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and a glass of Bourbon. Helen dedicated her life to teaching during her professional years, moving all over the country in the process. One of her daughters was handicapped from birth — something that inspired Helen to specialize in special education.
“Mom always had a sense of adventure,” said Linda Jacoby, Helen’s daughter. “‘Guess where we’re moving to next?’ Sometimes in the middle of the school year, just because it was there, and she was always advancing her career at the same time.”
For Linda, it had been more than three years since she had seen her mother. But making the trip down from Tennessee, she says, was well worth it.
“She’s the kindest person, and I don’t think I could beat that,” said Jacoby.
Helen enjoys listening to classical music, gardening, painting, and watching the news in her free time. Here’s to many more!