Thursday June 21, Fern Pagni turns 100 years old. Born in Massachusetts and the second eldest of four, Pagni’s life has been driven by her dedication to family and helping others.
Currently, Pagni is living at the Healdsburg Senior Living Center and all but runs the place. “She is so independent. She wears rubber gloves with the staff, sets the tables and makes sure everybody has a napkin. She has sort of taken over the place,” said Fern’s son, Terry Pagni, a teacher at Healdsburg High School.
Through most of her life, Pagni was a foster parent to Chinese children in the Bay Area. Many parents working in the nearby chrysanthemum fields would rely on Pagni to raise their kids until they reached the age of two. “My mom would sometimes go to the hospital to pick up these kids,” said Terry. “My mom raised kids. She was a foster parent. Ever since I can remember we’ve had nine to 11 people at our dinner table every night.” Her compassion toward those children awarded her three “Foster Parent of the Year” awards in the Bay Area.
Her husband was a drummer, so music has always strongly influenced the Pagni family. “We had a set of drums out in the front room. My dad was a world class drummer, he played with Louis Prima. We had famous people around our house all the time,” said Terry.
To this day, Fern likes to listen to music on her iPod. It helps her recall memories and keeps her mind sharp. “The kids used to get in trouble because of music. I’d say you’re supposed to be in school not playing songs out there!” said Fern.
Her secret to longevity? Fern walked between two five miles every day until she was 93. “I never drove cars. My mom would always ask me to drive, but I was too afraid,” said Fern. When her father finally got her behind the wheel at age 15, the family car ended up through the front porch. She never drove again. “These legs were made for walking,” said Fern.
Though Fern is 100, she certainly doesn’t feel like she has hit her centennial. After “Last week I asked her how old she was, she said she only feels 40,” said her son Terry.
