TRU PACE celebrated their first Centenarian on Tuesday, October 16. “We literally rolled out the red carpet for Eleanor as she came off her of her Via bus to attend the PACE Day Center in Lafayette” said TRU PACE Executive Director, Samantha Black.
Named after Eleanor Roosevelt, Eleanor Breslaw has had a wide range of experiences in her life. She has been a housewife, a mother to three boys, she has traveled extensively, and she has had rewarding careers as a model and buyer in the fashion industry.
She grew up in New York and moved to California with her husband and family in 1946. Eleanor worked for eight years for Frederick’s of Hollywood as a sportswear buyer.
Eleanor Breslaw
“It was the most interesting time. We had all the famous movie stars as clients. You could go out to the grocery store and see Rock Hudson, Lucille Ball, and others,” recalled Eleanor.
She started painting portraits at that time. Frederick Mellinger asked her to paint the “Frederick’s girl.” She painted a six-foot painting of a beautiful red-head in lingerie that he hung proudly in his office. “Working in Hollywood was a wonderful experience,” Eleanor exclaimed.
At Eleanor’s 100th birthday celebration at TRU PACE, she had many words of advice. “Life is wonderful. Do the best you can. Do all things in moderation. I’m not political. I’ve voted in every election in my life time. Young people: your vote counts! There is no excuse not to vote. This is a wonderful country. And thank God, He has a plan.”
Samantha Black says of Eleanor, “She has been a joy and a delight to all of us at TRU PACE. She is truly an inspiration and she is adored by PACE participants and staff. It is also very meaningful to have her son in the PACE program as well.”
To learn more about TRU PACE, a healthcare program for older adults, please call 303-665-0115 or go to pace.trucare.org.