50 Members of Bucciaglia Family Honor 100-Year-Old Patriarch

By BRIAN R. CARTER
Of the Telegram Staff

The Bucciaglia family paid a very special type of homage to their patriarch yesterday.

Fifty members of the clan turned out in true festival regalia to celebrate the 100th birthday of the family’s oldest member, Joseph Bucciaglia.

A native of Sparinze, Italy, new centenarian Bucciaglia presided over the afternoon affair, danced his favorite Italian folk dances, smoked his special Italian cigars and imbibed in his favorite spirits, good Italian wine.

Surrounded by relatives at the Olympia Club in Shrewsbury, Bucciaglia, accompanied by the Bill Storey

Long-Lived Family

Longevity seems to run in the Bucciaglia family. Joseph’s brother, who died several years ago, lived to celebrate his 95th birthday. Bucciaglia’s wife, Virginia (Capuano) Bucciaglia, died in 1956.

A keen man still, Bucciaglia came to Worcester in 1898 and vividly remembers the assassinations of President McKinley in 1899 and President Kennedy. President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed on Bucciaglia’s birthday nine years ago.

In addition to his work with the city’s Parks Department, Bucciaglia worked as a laborer for the former Hatch and Barnes Lumber Co. on Union Street many years ago.

trio, even sang one of his favorite Italian songs, “O Marie.”

The spright, mustachioed Bucciaglia, who worked for the Worcester Parks Department for many years, still delights in planting and cultivating flowers. He putters in a small garden at his home at 12 Shamrock St. where he lives with his daughter, Mrs. Emil Dumas.

The birthday party yesterday came a few days late. His birthday was Nov. 22 and he received special citations on that day from the state House of Representatives and the Office of Social Security.

Always active, according to family members, Bucciaglia still delights in a daily constitutional around the family yard followed by a few glasses of wine.

“I’m sure he can walk further than I could,” says son Anthony, “and he’s never been sick a day. He doesn’t know what the inside of a hospital looks like.”

A slight five feet tall, Bucciaglia mowed his own lawn until about 15 years ago. Fifteen years seems like a long time, but he was 85 then.

Telegram Photo by MITCHELL C. ABOU-ADAL

Joseph Bucciaglia, seated behind his birthday cake, applauds after being treated to a birthday song by his relatives at a party yesterday to celebrate his 100h birthday.