Evelyn Surprenant hopped on the back of a motorcycle behind a relative and took a slow cruise down the driveway last year.
She was 104 then.
That zest for life is an infectious inspiration to her family and friends.
And, according to her great-granddaughter, Michaela Tiani, Suprenant “wants to drive again.”
Surprenant was familiar with riding on two-wheeled vehicles from the years during World War II when motorcycles were cheaper to run than automobiles and she rode on her share of motorbikes then.
The secret to her longevity? “Family is important,” Suprenant maintains, according to Tiani. According to Boston University data, there were 1,262 centenarians living in Connecticut in 2019.
Born on September 19, 1919, Suprenant grew up in North Branford, on a farm with no indoor bathroom, hot water or electricity. In those days everyone walked everywhere.
Of Irish and Dutch heritage, Suprenant and her husband, Emerson, whose parents admired great writers and named their children accordingly, were voracious readers. Her daughter Margaret Calamita (known as Peggy,) who is one of four children, recalls that they generally gathered after dinner to read their favorite authors.
As a lifelong resident of North Branford with proximity to the waters of Long Island Sound, Suprenant also is a strong swimmer. Last summer she swam in the Sound and her daughter said she had to guard her to make sure she swam parallel to the shoreline and did not head out to sea. This summer she enjoyed swimming in the pool, but says that “it’s not the same as the ocean.”
Calamita is 86 and has had her mother live with her and her husband, John Calamita, for the last 12 years. They are Suprenant’s full-time caregivers. Suprenant, however, maintains her independence, dressing herself, performing regular chair exercises and walking in the yard with supervision. She can still touch her hands to the floor, even after three hip surgeries.
There is “no stopping her,” according to Tiani. “She never complains, she continues.”
When asked how she is doing, Suprenant responds, “I’m wonderful.Grateful and happy to be here.”
Her advice to those who want to live a long life is, “just be kind to everyone and love your family.”
A living example of her motto, every Sunday at noon she sits at the head of the family table at her daughter and son-in-law’s house and welcomes a variety of family members, with their spouses and children.
As Tiani notes, “It doesn’t matter what the week (was) like, whoever is available stops over to eat, talk, share hugs, and enjoy each other.”
This family tradition helps everyone stay grounded, harking to a bygone era of American family culture.
All relatives greet Suprenant when they arrive and she jokingly says, “Who are you?” There are a lot of names to remember, with five generations of relatives. Excitement abounds regarding Suprenant’s great-great granddaughter, the newest family member. Most family members live within a two to three mile radius in North Branford, which makes gathering easier, but also speaks of the tightly knit community of relatives that has sustained Suprenant over the years.
Suprenant’s children learned from her about the importance of family ties. She outlived two of her children, James and Linda, and stays in touch with her other son, Roy. “She still speaks often of her own sister and brother, now deceased, as they were very close,” Tiani said.
Married in 1941 while in her early 20s, Suprenant went to work after her husband was called to serve in World War II. During this time women could be left with small babies, some were pregnant, and they were very compassionate toward one another. Suprenant had four women friends she knew since they were girls in kindergarten, who maintained close ties as long as possible.
Having worked at A.C. Gilbert Co., an American toy maker, as well as McKesson and Robbins, Suprenant used her sewing skills and cooking skills to her advantage. Over the years she later worked in the North Branford school system and baked pies. She also sewed quilts and baby clothes, including handmade snowsuits as gifts for her family members who had babies.
Her husband died at age 55, so she has been widowed for many years.
Tiani said she feels “lucky and blessed to witness her (great grandmother’s) life stages.” She shares her great grandmother’s love for roses and learned to tend them from Suprenant as a child. One of nine great grandchildren, she is getting married next year and will continue to honor the traditions that Suprenant has created, which “revolve around cooking,” Tiani notes with a laugh.
“The name Suprenant means surprise,” Tiani said.
Suprenant is just as surprised as everyone else that she is going to be 105 this year, and said she plans to continue living quietly with her family.
