Let me introduce you to Mazie Ford. She has volunteered at Memorial Regional Hospital for over ten years and is 112 years old.
The secrets to her longevity are happiness and love. Mazie also doesn’t lose heart easily. She always wears a blonde wig, a bright blouse with a butterfly brooch, and makeup. In the past, Mazie has never been seen without pink lipstick on her lips. After she was widowed, she remarried in Hallandale.
She has always been creative. For Mazie’s 100th birthday, she made pink butterflies out of wire and beads for her guests. Her first charity knitting project was for the Warm Up America Foundation when simple needlework bore her. When Mazie turned 100, she knitted tiny baby hats for Memorial Regional Hospital. Once a month, she delivers a hat to the hospital. The rest of the time, Mazie does not leave the apartment.
Thanks to knitting, Mazie met her best friend, Marla, who works in a hospital. To keep the hats in shape, Mazie stuffs them with napkins. “I try to match the colors so that they complement each other. The woman says, “I love everything I do.”. Previously, Mazie and her daughter knitted at least 50 hats a month, but now they make about 35.
By knitting, she keeps her mind active and keeps in touch with people so she doesn’t sit alone all day. “Volunteering supports her and hopefully will support me as well,” says Joanne. Mazie celebrated her 112th birthday with family and friends over dinner at a restaurant, as she had done for the previous five years. Her daughter, Marla, and her husband hope to eat steak there next year. Mazie is a testament to the importance of never losing heart and doing what you love no matter what age you are.
