By Janice Sina
(February 4, 2026) — Faces tell a story before words do. Helen Pike sat straight in her chair, her blue suit complimenting her bright eyes. Her smile was ready and genuine as she shook my hand and introduced me to her son, Alan. I was impressed by her energy and optimism on this brutally cold day when so many are winter-weary. But Helen has had years to cultivate that positivity. January 31, 2026, was her 100th birthday. I met her in her light and cheery room at Commonwealth Senior Living at Haddam before a birthday lunch in her honor. She seemed as excited as any ten-year-old about the prospect of a party.
We started by talking about those hundred years of hers. Born in England to Scottish parents, Helen came to America in 1927, carried off the boat at Ellis Island at a year and a half. Her father, a draftsman by trade, had been promised a better job if he moved to America. The family settled in New Jersey, growing up along the shore in Cliffwood Beach and Ocean Grove. She knew of her husband, Ken, in high school but they did not date and he subsequently went off to serve in World War II. “One year,” she said, “I decided to go to the hometown Thanksgiving football game, and there walking around was Ken Pike! I said, ‘I thought you were dead!’ That was the worst pick-up line ever.” Or the best. They married and raised three children, living in Matawan, New Jersey, then Illinois, Reading, Pennsylvania, and eventually retiring to Arizona. They were avid golfers, though she quipped, “his war wound in his left arm didn’t affect his golf game.”
I asked her to recall some of her most personally memorable times. “I had very good parents,” she said. “When I was nine years old, my mother, brother and I sailed to Scotland and spent the whole summer there. That was quite an adventure.” That may have been the beginning of her love of traveling because she and her husband traveled far and wide as well. Ken graduated from Lehigh University with an engineering degree and conventions took them to places like Monaco, Germany, and Japan. They also returned to Scotland and England many times and, when they retired, they enjoyed cruises to the Caribbean and New Zealand. What really makes her eyes sparkle however are her descendants – she is so proud of her three children, Alan, Barbara, and Dee, along with her five grandchildren, and nineteen great-grandchildren (twenty-five counting those from Alan’s blended family). “Just one week ago I was at my great-granddaughter’s wedding in Utah,” she said, with that slight proud lift of her chin. No potential snowstorm was going to hold her back.
I wondered about any historic events that affected her, too. She thought a minute and said, “The JFK assassination, of course. That was sad news. And the Lindbergh kidnapping.” And then she brightened, “When World War II was over, we went to New York City to celebrate.”
It was almost time for lunch and cake but she was curious to know if I had any more questions, and I did. “What words of wisdom would you give young people today?” I asked. Without hesitation, she said, “I have two books to suggest. Did you ever hear of Norman Vincent Peale? The Power of Positive Thinking. That, and also a small book by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Charles Lindbergh’s wife. [The book is Gift From the Sea.] She lived in his shadow. I read that back in the 1950’s, when it was suggested to women to get married, have children and forget about your own self, her book said don’t do that. Be an individual. So I took that to heart.” Another piece of advice she offered was “everything in moderation.” Good advice for young people in this fast-paced world. And stay sharp, which she has perfected. “Trivial Pursuit, Jeopardy, giant crossword puzzles. I always have two books going at once, one fiction and one non-fiction. There are so many mentally stimulating programs here that I join in on.”
Does Helen Pike have plans and dreams for moving into the next year? Oh, yes she does! “I’m very grateful I’ve lived long enough to see this wonderful family. I’ve always been supportive of the performing arts and I’d like to go to the theater.” We walked down to the dining room, decorated for her birthday, with balloons and streamers everywhere. She was greeted with applause. Sitting regally at the table, draped in a boa, with a tiara on her head, she exuded positivity and kindness, and a zest for her life, just as it was.
Happiest of Birthdays, Helen Pike!
Photo by Dee Beckman
