NAHANT — Alberta McMahon sat at the entrance of Jesmond Nursing Home as arriving guests greeted her for her 100th birthday party on Thursday.
The Revere native graduated from Immaculate Conception High School in 1941. She married Martin McMahon in 1948 and they soon moved their budding family to Lynnfield. Her career history included working as an administrative assistant for Hunnewell Trucking, Center School, and Lynnfield Town Hall.
Marty McMahon, one of Alberta McMahon’s five children, read a statement that celebrated and summarized his mother’s life.
“Cleary, she is a woman who loved to work, but also hated to cook. Or so she would say, but her spaghetti sauce, eggplant parmesan, and pot roast would easily have won awards,” Marty McMahon read. “She has a great facility with languages and could have worked as a translator or in diplomatic service.”
Alberta McMahon received a citation from the office of state Rep. Peter Capano congratulating her milestone.
Thanks to her daughter Dorothy McMahon, she also received acknowledgment from two of her favorite sports teams: the Red Sox and Bruins.
“The Red Sox were great, I got them on the phone immediately and they said ‘Yeah, we’ll send something out,’” Dorothy McMahon said.
Dorothy McMahon managed to get in contact with former Bruin Brad Park through mutual Lynnfield connections, and got him to send his wishes along to her mother.
Despite being a resident of Jesmond for only a year, Alberta McMahon has had an impact on the facility’s community.
“She’s the type of person who as she’s receiving care, even if she’s not in the mood, she will make sure that afterward she will come and apologize,” Jesmond Nurse Henry Estilin said. “She’s very grateful, she’s very kind… That’s what I like the most about her.”
