News & Features
December 2005

Lifelong citizen celebrates 95 years
By Linda Lincoln

Grace Prizio

On Nov. 29, my mother, Grace Prizio, celebrated her 95th birthday. What an accomplishment — 95 years old! All of our family is so proud of her; she is an inspiration to us all. She is the daughter of Philip and Julia (Stone) Boynton, born in a house on Mill Street, and when she was 7 years old, her mother died, leaving seven children.

Many stories have been told to me by my mother. She can still recall the West Main Street neighborhood where she grew up and who the original owners of the homes were. The hustle and bustle of Central Street, with the many storefronts, movie theaters and factories, soon died down when Route 9 came through town. In her teens, she worked at Louise Galloway’s “Tea House,” where she met many up-and-coming actors and actresses on their way from New York to Boston.

When she was 19, she married my father, William Prizio; they were married for 51 years and raised five children. Together they operated a family-owned fruit and vegetable business and operated Prizio’s Grove, which was famous for clambakes, chicken barbecues and political functions for 30 years. Grace has five children, 13 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.

My mother means more to me that words can say, and she’s my best friend. She has lived at the same residence for the past 69 years, is pretty healthy, does all of her own household chores (sometimes mine), and does her own gardening, in which she takes great pride. Grace is the last survivor of her generation of the family and is one of the two oldest women residents of Brookfield. I know her biggest wish is to live to be 100 years old, and with the help of God, I pray that she gets her wish!

Happy 95th Birthday Mom!