Bristol Glen in Newton helps woman celebrate 105th birthday

Kyle Morel, New Jersey Herald
·3 min read

NEWTON — Anne McClane, with a party hat on her head and a shawl draped around her shoulders, smiled and posed for lots of photos on Thursday as she celebrated her 105th birthday.

A lifelong New Jersey resident born in Carlstadt in 1916, McClane now lives in Newton at the United Methodist Communities at Bristol Glen. She's pretty popular there with the employees and other residents, who joined her for a birthday celebration.

McClane's two children, Kathy Bitterman and Jim McClane, were present during the celebration, one of the first at Bristol Glen since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Balloons, cake and singing marked the occasion.

Jackie Santonastaso, Bristol Glen's assistant to the executive director, said "it means the world" for residents and their loved ones to gather again. Many were not even able to dine with fellow residents as they were often confined to their rooms for meals through much of the pandemic.

Kathy Bitterman, 76, of Flanders, with her mother Anne McClane on Anne’s 105th birthday. Family, friends and employees were at the United Methodist Communities at Bristol Glen where they celebrated the 105th birthday for Anne McClane on November 18, 2021. Anne McClane lived for 50 years in Hawthorne, NJ.
Kathy Bitterman, 76, of Flanders, with her mother Anne McClane on Anne’s 105th birthday. Family, friends and employees were at the United Methodist Communities at Bristol Glen where they celebrated the 105th birthday for Anne McClane on November 18, 2021. Anne McClane lived for 50 years in Hawthorne, NJ.

"We've been so cautious because we wanted to make sure that we're keeping our residents safe," she said. "We always put caution first and safety first, so now with the boosters and the vaccinations, we feel much more confident. The families are starting to come back in, the residents are starting to go back out, so it's a win-win for everybody."

McClane lived in Hawthorne for 50 years and Hackettstown for 15, and after living with Bitterman for a brief period, has been at Bristol Glen for about the past seven years.

"The people who work here, I can't say enough about them," McClane said at the celebration.

Bitterman said her mother is "very family-oriented," as evidenced by her marriage to her late husband, James. The couple were together for more than 70 years and scarcely had any disagreements.

Kathy Bitterman, 76, of Flanders, and her brother Jim McClane, 71, of Hamburg with their mother Anne McClane on her 105th birthday. Family, friends and employees were at the United Methodist Communities at Bristol Glen where they celebrated the 105th birthday for Anne McClane on November 18, 2021. Anne McClane lived for 50 years in Hawthorne, NJ.
Kathy Bitterman, 76, of Flanders, and her brother Jim McClane, 71, of Hamburg with their mother Anne McClane on her 105th birthday. Family, friends and employees were at the United Methodist Communities at Bristol Glen where they celebrated the 105th birthday for Anne McClane on November 18, 2021. Anne McClane lived for 50 years in Hawthorne, NJ.

"She'll say once in a while, 'Oh, we had an argument once.' I'm like, 'Are you kidding me? Once?' " Bitterman said. "Basically they were very compatible. They did everything together."

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McClane has four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, with one more "almost here," Bitterman said.

McClane has no major health issues, which her daughter attributed to maintaining an active lifestyle for many years. She and her husband traveled the world, visiting Europe and Africa and taking various cruises, and she took daily walks for many years after retiring at age 70.

"She was always in shape. She was always kind of Type-A, never sat and watched TV," Bitterman said. "Even when she moved by us at 95 ... I could barely keep up with her at that time."

McClane still walks, with the help of a walker, through the halls of Bristol Glen, where she is liked by employees for her cheerful personality and ability to stay active.

"That woman still does everything," said nursing assistant Joann Ortiz. "She's impressive, and she takes care of herself, too."

"She's friendly, she's kind, she's caring," added social worker Maria Cafferata. "I just love her."

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Centenarian celebrated at United Methodist at Bristol Glen, Newton, NJ