NAHANT ― On Sunday, the Nahant Historical Society (NHS) held a celebration for a special person who just passed a once-in-a-century milestone.
This milestone came in the form of a 100th birthday party for resident ― and 2018 Essex Media Group Person of the Year ― Calantha Sears. Her special day was celebrated with town residents who shared cake, gifts, and stories about Sears.
“While we would have enjoyed a huge parade, town-wide parties, and fireworks, it is with great pleasure that we honor Calantha in her own style – quiet, humble, and welcoming,” said the NHS in a statement.
The open-house celebration commemorated not just Sears, but her lifelong residence in Nahant.
Sears was born on Oct. 17, 1921 on Hyland Road in the home her parents built in 1916. In her twenties, she moved to her grandparents’ home at 42 Ocean St. along with her parents. Eventually, her parents moved back to the Hyland Road home and, after the war, she and her husband, Winthrop Sears, purchased the Ocean Street house.
“I am so pleased to say, to you all who joined me and my family, how great it is to have the participation in celebrating my hundredth birthday,” said Sears in a video addressed to her fellow residents. Sears was unable to attend the celebration proper, but said she was doing something special with close family.
Sears was known through the years for doing a lot for her community, including working with the schools, the library, and the church.
“I have enjoyed working with the younger generation as well as the older generation, and as well as the people in Town Hall, police, fire, cemetery, the public works, and other clubs and commissions,” she said.
In an interview, Sears explained how she was able to grow up in the beach community she called home. There’s a bug people catch where they fall in love with Nahant, she said.
“Nahantitis — if you get it, you have it forever.”
The NHS will continue to preserve the stories of notable residents like Sears in order to allow future generations to learn from them, which was one of Sears’ dearest wishes.
Hannah Chadwick can be reached at [email protected].
