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When asked how she felt, Christine Cordey responded with an affirmative, “I’m feeling well.” And who can blame her? After all, it is not everyday one is entitled to celebrate their 104th birthday.

Flanked by her closest friends whom she considers family, that was precisely the occasion last Thursday afternoon for the long-time Jackson Heights resident, as a birthday party was thrown in her honor at the Regal Heights Rehabilitation and Health Care Center, on 70th Street and 35th Avenue.

Cordey has lived in the neighborhood for well over half a century, working as a beautician at a local hair salon before her retirement. It was not until she suffered a fall in her home at the age of 99 that she was admitted to the center, where she has lived almost exclusively since 2003. Since then, she has become more than a matriarchal figure for staff members. “We are like her great-great grandchildren,” joked Vanessa Watson, Cordey’s social worker. “We learn so much from her.”

Donning an elegant light blue dress, silver tiara, and clutching her lucky, ivory miniature teddy bear, Cordey was the life of the party, which featured the music of Rita Rose, a thyroid cancer survivor, and Jimmy Vince, who suffers from muscular dystrophy. The festive gathering also included sparkling grape juice, vanilla fudge ice cream and was topped off with a delicious vanilla cake – though the staff members at Regal Heights opted for simplicity with a trio of candles numbered one, zero and four rather than placing 104 individual candles on the cake.

“There probably wouldn’t be enough room to fit all those candles,” said Andy Schoenholtz, who helped found Regal Heights in 2000. In that time, the center has treated thousands of sick or elderly people.

“Before we opened, this place was a dealership,” he
recalled. “Now Regal Heights is one of the most advanced health care facilities in Queens.”

Located in the historic section of Jackson Heights, the Adult Day Care houses 280 senior citizens, providing them with the best in nursing, nutrition, and fitness. Often, the residents embark on local trips to malls, museums, zoos, and even the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting. In addition, the eight-story health center offers rehabilitation and therapy for people healing from addiction, injury or surgery, who are catered to by a diversified, full-time, qualified staff.

“We are very community-oriented,” said Betsy Lazarus, Director of Therapeutic Recreation.

“Here, we give back to the community that has given so much to us. We’re proud of the service and support we are able to give to those who need it,” she continued.

Regal Heights’ reward for Cordey was to celebrate her 104th birthday with a party. Also in attendance to honor the centenarian was a representative for Councilwoman Helen Sears (D-Jackson Heights), who commemorated the momentous occasion with a certificate declaring March 13th Christine Cordey Day in Queens. “She is a valued member of the community, worthy of this honor,” said Sears’s spokesperson.

Cordey’s friends and caretakers at the center cite her virulence and tenacity as primary sources for perdurance.
“She’s the most energetic person I know,” said friend and fellow Regal Heights day care resident Mary Ellen Monaco. “She’s up at 7 a.m., going through rooms to see how everyone’s doing. Whenever she wins at a game of bingo, she’ll start hollering to let you know. She’s so feisty and I think that has to do with her long life. But she’s got a right to be. At 104, she’s only just beginning.”

Her ebullient nature does not go unnoticed by the staff, either. “I think the secret to her youthfulness is that she’s always smiling,” said Watson. “She’ll go up to you and give you one of her famous hand massages and start gossiping like a young girl. And if you’re a younger gentleman, she’ll ask you if you’re married.”