'She loves and enjoys life': This Valley Stream resident is set to turn 100.

In a historic milestone, Valley Stream resident Fernande Garnier Calizaire is set to  celebrate her 100th birthday on Oct. 24.

The soon-to-be centenarian will join a rare and exclusive group in American demographics. According to Pew Research, around 101,000 people in the U.S. are aged 100 or older — a population comparable to that of Boulder, Colorado.

Born in 1924 in the small town of Hinche, Haiti, Calizaire’s journey is a story of resilience, hard work, and the fulfillment of the American dream.

Born to a 14-year-old mother who was soon orphaned, Calizaire faced the hardships of growing up with limited resources. Despite these difficulties, she pursued an education and helped her mother run a general store in their community.

“Despite the many hardships, mom attended school, worked in her mother’s general store, married, had two children, and emigrated to the US in 1966,” her daughter Theresa Hutchinson shared. “She has never returned to Haiti.”

Once in the U.S., she worked hard to establish a new life for her family. She was employed as a seamstress in a factory — a common path for many immigrants at the time. Calizaire later transitioned into a role as a dietitian’s aide at the VA Hospital in Brooklyn, where she worked until her retirement in 1986.

Calizaire and her late husband, Emmanuel Calizaire, became proud homeowners, acquiring two properties in the 1980s. According to obituary records, the couple were longtime choir mates, bonding over a playful inside joke about a Christmas song that Emmanuel humorously claimed was about him — his corny charm won Fernande’s heart. After a two-year courtship, Fernande happily said yes to his proposal.

In 2001, the couple moved to Valley Stream, where they have lived since. Her zest for life and curiosity have kept her engaged and active, and she continues to maintain her independence well into her later years.

“She is a very happy, very sociable person,” Hutchinson said. “She’s on the internet, on Facebook, on YouTube. Very much a technology person. Even though she’s almost 100 years old, she loves and enjoys life. She cooks for herself, she’s a great cook. We are blessed to have a wonderful, positive person.”

She also made the local news in 2010 when the then 86-year-old Calizaire took home second place for her gingerbread house at an annual gingerbread house contest at the Pagan-Fletcher Restoration, sponsored by Girl Scouts from Troop 2281. She tied with then 13-year-old Amanda Lee.

Only 2.4 percent of the village’s population, according to recent demographic data, are 85 and older. Calizaire has a wealth of memories, and the ability to recall exact places and people from her time living in Haiti in the 1940s and 50s.

About 40 people will be flying in to celebrate her birthday with a private, intimate dinner at the Garden City Hotel. This a stark comparison to Calizaire’s mother’s large 100th birthday celebration in 2010 that hosted over 100 people.

Calizaire has been blessed with a loving family, including her two children, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

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