Centenarian: Mary Holtzblatt

Before Mary Holtzblatt married her husband David and raised their three children in Chicago, she worked as a nurse’s aide in a hospital during World War II. After the war, she began working at a doctor’s office. She always devoted herself to others.

Ellen and Pam, Mary’s daughters, say that one of Mary’s greatest successes in life has been helping people. She hasn’t had many hobbies; instead, her greatest passion has been relationships. Whenever anyone needed her, Mary would drop everything to help. At 102, her caregiving abilities are limited, but throughout her life, she was a serial caregiver, taking care of her sister, husband, and her friend Pearl at varying times.

Mary worked as a statistical typist for her husband’s accounting practice, but friends and family who needed her always came first.

Her drive to care for others continued in her interactions with her grandchildren. Mary has four granddaughters and two great-grandsons. Her granddaughter recalls Mary’s macaroni and cheese as a favorite dish. And when the grandchildren were small, Mary created an entire room in her home for them, stocked with toys, clothes, and a crib. She wanted it to feel like a second home.

From her apartment at The Selfhelp Home, Mary says she has no regrets; she spends most of her time with friends, family, and people who care about her. She feels surrounded by happiness and joy, which Ellen and Pam say has played a role in her longevity. 

Longevity is in her genes, too. Mary’s siblings — two sisters and three brothers — lived into their 90s or beyond.

Top photo by Jim Vondruska

Originally published in the Summer/Fall 2025 print issue.