
Hi Everyone!

I wanted to come on here and give a happy 100th birthday shout-out to my grand mom and South Philly native, Caroline Candelori!! A proud mother of seven children (along with 20 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren!) and wife of my deceased pop-pop and WWII veteran Paul Candelori, she has lived one hell of a life! Below is an attempt to quickly summarize her life over the century, and I would love to hear from anyone who has relatives with similar backgrounds or maybe even may have crossed paths at some point!

Born on February 21st, 1926 and raised on South 15th Street, Caroline graduated from South Philadelphia High School in1944! She and her two younger sisters (Amelia and AnnaMae) and mother (Louise) lived with her grandmother and grandfather. There, in that three-story row-home, she fell in love with knitting and dance. “I was young, grade school. I watched my mother knit and that’s how I learned. I never saw my mother follow a pattern. I bought a book. I made my uncles socks.” Around the same time she attended the Catherine Littlefield’s ballet school which later became the Philadelphia Ballet. “She was a big deal Catherine Littlefield. Her mother played the piano.” She swears her time doing ballet is the reason she’s still alive today!

Her first job was at the Stetson Hat Company, taking inventory. Later, she worked at Vibration Specialty Corp as a bookkeeper. There, she met Paul and, funnily enough, wanted very little to do with him.  He won her over, and they married in 1948 and managed to celebrate a 70th wedding anniversary together.  Initially, they settled down in Westbrook Park in Clifton Heights, but after four kids made the move to Plymouth Township in 1959 where she still lives to this day! She and Paul had seven amazing kids though the jury is still out on her youngest son (just kidding!!). They spent plenty of time together in the Poconos at Robin Hood Lakes. She and Paul were fortunate to travel the world together with much time spent in Italy and Germany. She's a fantastic cook and comedian, making the best Italian Wedding Soup I'll ever have. While no spring chicken these days, as my mom would say, she's quick with a sassy remark and could talk all day about her time growing up in South Philly. She loves to point out how she and her friends would laugh at Conshohocken like it was some faraway land whenever I remind her that it's where I live. Proud of her city and upbringing, she and Paul loved to recall all the cross streets that intersect Broad St in order, and she could watch Mummers Parade replays all day.

Happy Birthday, Grandmom!! We love you and I can't even describe how fortunate we are to have you in our lives.  

If you're still reading, I sincerely thank you and hope this gave you something to smile about. 




My Grandmother (1944) Turns 100 Today!