Senior living 101: Biondi celebrates milestone birthday

Submitted by Wheatfield Commons

Moderation, prayer and “making the best of every situation” have carried Howard Biondi through more than a century of life. A resident of Wheatfield Commons, a DePaul Senior Living Community in North Tonawanda, Howard recently celebrated his 101st birthday – one of his proudest accomplishments!

Raised on the east side of Buffalo, Howard attended School No. 6 and Hutchinson Technical High School, dropping out of school as a junior to travel to California to fight forest fires with the Civilian Conservation Corps. Howard later worked in a butcher shop on South Division Street – the same street he grew up on.

In 1943, he was drafted into the Army during World War II. He served three years in New Guinea and the Philippines as a technician fourth grade, with the 496th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Gun Battalion. After returning home, Biondi worked for A&P for 30 years as meat manager, cutting meat for a small shop after he retired. He also took up golf and served as president of Grover Cleveland Golf Course.

Howard’s wife, Theresa Marinaccio – whom he knew since they were children – passed away in 1984 from breast cancer. The couple had three children together.

Howard refers to his home at Wheatfield Commons as “the country club,” because staff “cut no corners.”

For more information about Wheatfield Commons, contact Administrator Kathy Hyland-Dion at [email protected] or Marketing Director John Tomes at 716-475-7600. or [email protected]. Wheatfield Commons also is on Facebook.