LYNN — Irma Hopkins, a Lynn resident since 1946, celebrated her 102nd birthday yesterday with her family at the Lynn Home for Elderly Persons, where she has resided since 2021.
Moving to the city with her husband after the end of World War II, Hopkins worked at City Hall from 1975 to 1985. When deciding where to live for elder care, she chose the community on Atlantic Terrace because many residents are City Hall retirees.
Four generations gathered in the basement of the Lynn Home for Elderly Persons to spend time with the centenarian who, as everyone in the room agreed, still has a better memory than most people.
“Well, what can I say? I never expected to still be here,” Hopkins said with a smile, reflecting on reaching 102 years while trying some of her raspberry cake.
Revelers at the celebration included her two daughters, Cathy Kashner and Bonnie Achterhof, along with three granddaughters and two grandsons. It was a welcome sight compared to Hopkins’ 99th birthday during the pandemic when the family had to commemorate her birthday through a window.
“Everyone here over a certain age has lived in her attic at one point or another,” Hopkins’ son-in-law Frank Kashner said. He remembered how he crashed there himself in 1980.
Undoubtedly, this warm hospitality, sharp wit, and unconditional love is something that Hopkins has taken with her through over 100 years of life and will continue to bring to every room she enters from this moment forward.
