What’s the secret to living to 100?
“Good mother, good father,” said Helen Fridirici, who came to Homeland in 2025. “My mother was an angel. Nobody ever told her that, but she was just an angel on earth. Imagine that.”
From Helen’s airy room in Homeland’s skilled care, her son, Tom, added his thoughts.
“Good genes,” he said. “Good diet.”
Helen Fridirici grew up in Beckley, a town in scenic southern West Virginia. Her father was a skilled cook and ran a restaurant. Sometimes, when they were short of cashiers, she helped out.
“It was the most beautiful, delicious kind of restaurant,” Helen said. “My father knew all about cooking.”
Helen was about 10 years old when the family moved to Allentown, where she attended Central High School. After graduating, she worked for a lawyer.
Helen met her husband, Henry – known as Hank – through good friends who introduced her to “this young man that they always liked.”
“That was the best introduction that was ever made,” she said.
For Hank’s job with Bell Telephone, they moved to the Harrisburg area. They lived in a home in the West Shore village of Shiremanstown before building a new home nearby in Shireman’s Manor.
Helen and Hank had three children — daughter Roxane first, followed by Tom and Ted. Helen’s mother, Bertha, was also a member of the Fridirici household.
“It was wonderful for us,” Helen said. “She did everything for us. She took care of us.”
Like her father, Helen cooked everything and taught the kids to cook.
“There was nothing we didn’t cook,” she said. For holidays, the Fridirici home was the gathering place for aunts and uncles from Allentown, convening over big, traditional family dinners of ham and turkey.
“Lots of food, lots of security,” remembers Tom about his childhood home. Their parents taught the kids about personal and financial responsibility and lived out their beliefs about women’s equality.
“I had a strong mother and a strong grandmother and a strong sister, and there was never any question about whether women were going to be smart or equal,” said Tom. “They never even opened the door on that.”
The family took car trips, initially visiting relatives in West Virginia and Charlottesville, VA, while the kids were young. When they were older, they would motor west with a camper, touring National Parks.
“We went everywhere,” said Helen — except Florida, but that wasn’t a problem. “We were so busy.”
“Six people in a station wagon on the road,” Tom added.
After Hank retired, the couple traveled, taking tours and AAA trips. He died in 2001, and she continued living in her home, taking care of things with help from the kids.
Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren include a 2-year-old boy who is “pretty full of energy,” shared Tom.
Today, Helen is curious, alert, and loves to laugh. She came to Homeland after Ted and Tom – still living in the Harrisburg area, while Roxane is in California – researched their options.
Coming from a cooking background, Helen knows all about food, and she declares Homeland’s meals “delicious.” She couldn’t pinpoint a favorite dish, although she does love the coffee.
At Homeland, she loves attending the activities. Music events, including children’s choirs, are her favorites.
“Mainly, we love the kids,” she said.
“We love to eat, and we love the kids,” Tom added, making his mom laugh.
The Homeland staff “have been really helpful,” said Tom. “They’re really attentive, and they’re very friendly. They’re fun.”
Helen celebrated her birthday in December, with three cakes and “millions of people,” she said. She won’t say she’s special because of her longevity, but instead gives the credit to her family.
“That’s why I’m so special,” Helen said. “There’s nobody in the world like Tom and Ted and Roxane. They were special kids, and they grew up to be special adults. I was very lucky.”
Homeland Center (www.homelandcenter.org) offers levels of care including personal care, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation. Homeland also provides hospice, home care, home health and palliative care services to serve the diverse and changing needs of families throughout central Pennsylvania. For more information or to arrange a tour, please call 717-221-7900.
