Parker has a “Treasure Trove” to Celebrate on Mother’s Day
HIGHLAND PARK, NJ – May 5, 2021 –As we look to celebrate the accomplishments and overall wonderment of our mothers on Mother’s Day, look no further than Parker to discover elder women who have made a terrific impact on society, as well as at the kitchen table, over the decades.
“Women who have succeeded throughout their lives professionally and personally are sharing their lives with us,” Parker President and CEO Roberto Muñiz said. “We have a treasure trove of remarkable ladies who are eager to share stories of their inspiring lives, as well as plenty of photos and memories of their children, grandchildren, and, sometimes, great-grandchildren.”
Below is a snapshot of some incredible Parker moms, who deserve plenty of bouquets on Sunday, May 9, when the kids celebrate their special day at our homes in Highland Park, New Brunswick, Somerset, Piscataway and Monroe Township.
Zesel Chashin
Zesel climbed into the cloudless blue sky, floating about a green-hued sea, seemingly untethered as the wind and the world rushed past.
She was 69. But on this family trip, she decided she was finally going to try parasailing.
“She was having the time of her life, complete joy,” said her daughter, Ellen Marcus. “She was like, ‘I have to knock parasailing off my bucket list.’”
As Mother’s Day approaches, Marcus and her sister, Mindy Ashe, plan to celebrate the day in Highland Park with their mom, recalling a life lived with unbridled passion and boundless energy.
Whether it was parasailing, playing the piano, collecting antiques or shopping at Chico’s for new shoes, Zesel did everything with zest and zeal. She raised a family, worked for years as a probation officer at the Middlesex County Courthouse and traveled the world with her second husband.
Life is quieter these days for Zesel at Parker at River Road, where she celebrated her 85th birthday in March.
She’s surrounded by her collection of elephants - her maiden name was Elfant. She also has her porcelain boxes and a comforter made in her favorite colors, blue and yellow. Considering she is living with advanced Parkinson’s disease, having her favorite things around her is comforting.
So is reconnecting with high school friends who also just happen to live at Parker.
Zesel - Yiddish for “sweet” or “sweet one” - has gone from doting mom to proud grandmother over the past several years. She’s passed her passion for fashion onto her granddaughter, Ashley.
“I blame my mother for this, my daughter is so into fashion,” Marcus said, with a laugh. “I remember my mother bought my daughter her first pair of Steve Madden heeled flip flops for kindergarten and my daughter wore them proudly on her very first day.”
Zesel also lights up whenever one of her three grandsons, Jordan, Bailey and Logan, come to visit.
“Jordan just got engaged, so she’s very excited about that,” Marcus said. “It’s a year and a half away, but she’s already planning what she’s going to wear on the big day. It’s nice. It gives us something to look forward to and plenty to chat about.”
Beatrice Cote
Lavishing mom with gifts is a time-honored tradition on Mother’s Day, but Lyn Grund always thinks about the gifts her mom gave to her every day.
Beatrice Cote was a full-time teacher who also enjoyed the social responsibilities that came along with being a reverend’s wife. If she wasn’t entertaining church groups, with a full schedule of activities, she was shaping the minds of the next generation as a history teacher.
“Mom is the kind of dedicated person who always finishes what she starts; something I admire about her and hoping I learned from her,” Grund explained. “She managed so much while raising two children and, to this day, it amazes me how she remained so strong for us during tough times.”
Grund said her mom carried a serious demeanor, but never stopped looking at the glass half full. Beatrice has always been unbelievably resilient, even now during her golden years at Parker at River Road.
Being a history teacher, it’s no wonder she eagerly watched history in the making. Grund remembers her mom closely following the daily updates of the Watergate scandal in the 1970s in an era before the internet, social media, 24-hour news channels and push notifications on smartphones.
Cronkite and the other anchors brought the day’s news into their home each night. “I watch the news every night now,” Grund said. “She taught me how important it is to stay up-to-date.”
As a history teacher, Beatrice possessed a love for knowledge and reading, a passion she has brought with her to Parker.
Along with a workout session with the exercise class, one of her favorite moments of life at River Road is the view from her room in the quiet, early mornings, often with catching glimpses of grazing deer and gaggles of wild turkeys.
“It’s all about the little things with my mom,” Grund said. “To her, everything matters. She has always been our inspiration.”
Irene Potynski
Irene met her husband Joe and fell in love at the Manville roller rink one afternoon in 1946.
They married, had three kids and worked to put food on the table – usually such hand-made favorites as kielbasa, pierogis and golabki.
This Sunday, Irene Potynski’s children will celebrate all the ways she nurtured them on Mother’s Day. But, truth is, she’s always taken care of everybody else in her life.
Irene dropped out of Bound Brook High School during her junior year to care for her ailing mother. She took a job working the second shift at RCA in Somerville so she could be home with the kids during the day.
And, when a malignant melanoma metastasized, she cared for her husband at home until Steve – the love of her life –passed away too young, at 57.
But Irene still had her three children. And she could not be more proud.
Janet became an attorney, Steve became an accountant and Diane worked as an oncology nurse for years.
“Our mom showed us how to love and care for people and she did it her whole life,” said Diane Johnsen. “We couldn’t have asked for a more loving mother or someone to give us a better life.”
Irene, who turned 93 in April, says it feels good, finally, to let others take care of her.
Everyone at Parker at Landing Lane in New Brunswick calls her “The Social Butterfly.”
“I like talking to people and sometimes we’ll sit out in the hall and talk and talk,” Irene said. “Or we’ll play whatever games they have that day. The days go so quick because everything is so good here. You’re just at home and I love being here.”
Irene is surrounded by photos of her children, her five grandchildren and her two great grandchildren, all proudly displayed in her comfortable room.
There’s also a photo of Steve – a constant reminder of the day they met down at the roller derby, where Irene was aces on wheels and Steve was the most attractive man her teenaged eyes had ever seen.
“I think I could skate right now if they let me,” she said, with a laugh.