Family marks matriarch’s 105th birthday

Faith, serenity and a love of song contribute to Caterina Calandra’s longevity



A SONG IN HER HEART—Caterina Calandra is alert, upbeat and active despite her age.

A SONG IN HER HEART—Caterina Calandra is alert, upbeat and active despite her age.

A cheerful woman who loves to sing, Caterina Calandra reached a milestone April 2 when she turned 105 years old.

Though her cognitive abilities are diminishing, her spirit shines brightly in vibrant and telling eyes.

In 2011, Calandra commemorated a century of existence at the Calabasas Country Club with some 50 friends and relatives. This year’s celebration was a quiet affair at home, said her daughter Ninette Anaya, 81.

Despite her advanced age, Calandra remains alert, upbeat and active.

Rather than speaking, nowadays she prefers to sing. The centenarian spontaneously broke into song as she greeted a visitor at her home last week.

Her family attributes her longevity to a combination of faith and serenity.

“The reason why she’s here is because she talks to God every day,” said Anaya, whose mother attends St. Mel Catholic Parish in Woodland Hills.

Anaya said Calandra enjoys telling stories about her past. The daughter said that to this day she is still learning new stories from her mother.

One of five children, Calandra was born in Sicily and moved to Tunisia with her family in 1929. She married in 1930, and she and her husband, Giovanni, had three children. The family moved to America in 1950, settling in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Their daughter Ninette and her husband, Richard, moved to Calabasas in 1973. They have two children, Richard Jr. and Suzanne, and two grandchildren, Richie, 15, and his sister, Ariana, 11.

Calandra moved to Calabasas to live with the Anayas after her husband died, about 18 years ago.

Richard Anaya Sr. attributed his mother-in-law’s longevity not only to her devotion to her Catholic faith and her family but also to growing up in small towns in Sicily and Tunisia and eating farmfresh foods.

Calandra’s great-grandson Richie Anaya said his great-grandmother is a living history book.

“When she was younger, she told many different stories, and now she sings,” said Richie, a Calabasas High freshman who entertains his family by playing piano in the living room. The aspiring doctor is fond of jazz and also plays classical and ragtime tunes.

Ninette Anaya said her mother is a kind, strong and determined woman. Although caring for her is a full-time job, Anaya wouldn’t have it any other way.

“We believe in taking care of the oldest,” she said.


THREE GENERATIONS—Centenarian Caterina Calandra is surrounded by family members, daughter and son-in-law, Ninette and Richard Anaya, and their grandson Richie.

THREE GENERATIONS—Centenarian Caterina Calandra is surrounded by family members, daughter and son-in-law, Ninette and Richard Anaya, and their grandson Richie.

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