She was blowing kisses as the nurse rolled her into the Warren Skilled Nursing and Rehab center banquet hall, a round of applause erupting all around her. It was a big day for Lucy Gregory, dressed sharply in her shiny black-and-white top. Yet it was arguably an even bigger moment for those in the room who joined her this past Monday, August 12 as they celebrated the 100th birthday of the woman who, in one way or another, has touched their lives. 

Said her daughter, Susan Silvia: “Everybody loves Lucy.”

Life of the party

For as long as Ms. Silvia can remember, her mother has always been the life of every social event. Canadian-born but Rhode Island-raised, Ms. Gregory was the second youngest of seven, the daughter of a well-known home builder and founder of Denelle Builders. She spent the majority of her childhood in Pawtucket, the same town she would call home for her four children alongside husband Raymond, whom she married in 1941.

Growing up, their house was in a constant bustle of activity, Ms. Silvia remembered, as her mother —involved in too many committees to even count — would often serve as the “hostess extraordinaire.”

“There was always a party going on at our house,” Ms. Silvia said.

Though Ms. Gregory had a flourishing social life and bevy of hobbies (including playing bridge and golf) to keep her busy, she took an interest in her children’s activities as well. After spending years watching from the sidelines as her daughter skated away on the ice, she decided to go to school and become a judge with the United States Figure Skating Association.

Aside from judging, the only other formal position Ms. Gregory ever took on was in the office of the Dean of Student Affairs at Brown University, one that she held for five years before leaving in 1973. After that, it was mainly traveling and wintering in Florida with both her husband, prior to his death in 1991, and Augustus Cariaggi, whom she married in 1994.

They were experiences Ms. Gregory would later recount to her hospice CNA, Janet Ventura, unwittingly teaching the latter a valuable lesson.

“Enjoy life, don’t work too hard,” Ms. Ventura said. “You've got to take time off for yourself, and enjoy your family.” 

‘One special lady’

For almost her entire life, Ms. Gregory was also able to enjoy living in her own apartment, only moving to the Warren Skilled Nursing and Rehab center when she was 96. In the four years since, however, she has managed to steal the hearts of many in the nursing home community.

Though Ms. Ventura has only been taking care of Ms. Gregory for the past year and a half, the two bonded quickly. Ms. Gregory will share stories about her childhood; Ms. Ventura will bring her music, like favorites Andrea Bocelli or Frank Sinatra, to listen to. Monday was actually Ms. Ventura’s day off, but she showed up bright and early at the nursing home anyway, bringing Ms. Gregory coffee and breakfast and decorating her room for her birthday. 

“It was my day to spend with Lucy,” she said simply.

Like Ms. Ventura, Glenn Stallings has not known Ms. Gregory for very long. He was the building’s maintenance director when she first arrived at the center, and he quickly enjoyed that she could handle his sense of humor. Over the years, he has been more than happy to lend Ms. Gregory a helping hand:  creating make-shift steps out of milk crates in order to get up and into the SUV; using his phone to facilitate FaceTime with Ms. Silvia when the latter was ever away. Though he took a new position and left the nursing home this past April, he made sure to be back for Ms. Gregory’s special day.

“You get attached to certain ones,” Mr. Stallings said. “She’s one of them.”

A lasting spark

By the early afternoon, Ms. Gregory’s party, organized in large part by recreation director Val DeCosta, was in full swing. Heart-shaped balloons dotted every pink-clothed table; off to the side, a table was lined with cake and other sweets. Toward the back rested a small display of memorabilia, complete with her framed birth certificate and scrapbook full of newspaper clippings and letters. Front and center of it all was Ms. Gregory herself, a birthday sash slung across her torso.

There have been times where Ms. Gregory has wondered aloud why she has lived for so long. Her vision has gone; she can no longer walk. She has outlived both of her husbands, her siblings and her three sons. Yet it could not be more apparent to Mr. Stallings or Ms. Ventura, to Ms. Silvia or anyone else gathered in the room.   

At one point during the day, musical guest Bobby Bourassa turns to the birthday girl, jovially asking her what her thoughts on country music were as he set the stage for what was evidently his next twangy croon. Ms. Gregory, however, simply just looked at him and quipped, “I don’t mind one or two.” A fit of laughter instantly erupted from every party-goer in the room. 

“Even though she asks why she’s still here,” Mr. Stallings said, “that spark is still there.”