By Rita Charleston
Elizabeth Funk never dreamed she’d live this long, but she’s trying to make the most of every moment.
Funk, who now resides at Wesley Enhanced Living at Pilgrim Garden, a retirement community in Northeast Philadelphia, was born Elizabeth Delores (Dolly) Del Monte in New York in 1906.
Teddy Roosevelt was president and the great earthquake shook San Francisco that year.
Her parents, Al and Nan Del Monte, were vaudevilleans. Her grandmother, she says, was a famous contralto, her grandfather an orchestra conductor, her brother a musician. An aunt and cousin were also performers.
Entertainment, it would seem, was in Dolly’s genes.
“I became a singer,” she explains. “I couldn’t dance for anything, but my mother told me if you could move your arms, you could always be a singer.”
As a little girl, she was sent off to Leicester, England, to be raised by her grandmother because her parents were on the vaudeville circuit in America and traveled too much to adequately care for their daughter.
But by the time she was 18, she had moved to America and was following in her parents’ footsteps, traveling around the country. Locally, she appeared at such venues as The Chateau in Olney, Pierre’s at 69th Street, the Club Madrid in Atlantic City and others.
Along the way, she also acquired three husbands — and, admits the still-feisty centenarian with a devilish little wink, “several other men as well.”
Third husband her favorite
But her “favorite,” she says, “was my last husband, Raymond Joseph Funk.” Her eyes light up as she says his name.
Despite a tragedy (they had a daughter who died at age 3), “I was more comfortable with him than I had ever been in my life. I didn’t expect much. We just sat around listening to music and enjoying each other’s company.”
Funk shows a honeymoon photo of the pair in Florida.
In fact, Funk is proud to display many, many photos, some kept in a white suitcase. They include photos of her and her family, as well as some of the entertainers she’s known throughout the years.
She’s known some of the top stars in the history of entertainment — from the Marx Brothers to Red Skelton, Bette Davis, Rudy Vallee and Cab Calloway.
Milton Berle and his mother, Sarah, she says, “were very nice people. His mother was very generous. If someone needed something and came to her, she would help as much as she could.”
Sweets from Schnoz
Jimmy Durante brought Funk sweets whenever he came to see her.
“Now there was a gentleman from the old school,” she says.
Funk also knew the Barrymores, the renowned acting family from right here in Philadelphia, and George Burns, who, Funk recalls, “admitted he could never replace his Gracie after she died. And he never did.”
Funk says there is no secret to her longevity. “I just worked hard. I didn’t smoke, mainly because I couldn’t afford to. And the same thing goes for drinking. My mother and father lived to be 97 or 98. But I don’t think anyone in my family ever made it to 102.”
After so many years, Funk says, she’s done so many things she has difficulty remembering it all. But one thing she still seems to remember — how to grow old gracefully.
By Al Hornstein
Myron D. Eisenberg is a dentist who makes house calls.
Actually, he’s a retired dentist, but since giving up his office practice in November, he has continued a 15-year tradition of providing services at home or in a skilled-care facility for those who cannot visit a dental office.
Of course, he can’t carry large equipment, but he can repair, reline and meet other needs.
Eisenberg — whose office used to abound with Phillies photos because he was the players’ dentist — emphasizes the importance to older people of maintaining dental hygiene.
“As we get older,” he says, “it is vitally important to take better care of your teeth.” He advises that you brush regularly, particularly after eating, use a mouthwash, floss, and if you have dentures, remove and clean them after meals.
It’s OK to sleep with them, he says, but if you don’t, soak them overnight in a cleaning solution.
If possible, says Eisenberg and just about every other expert, you should see a dentist at least twice a year.
Dr. Paul J. Berson, a prosthodontist (he specializes in replacement and reconstruction), suggests that seniors see the dentist as often as three or four times a year.
“In past years, people did not live as long and we did more patching work. But today, those with their own teeth are healthier,” says Berson, a partner in the Dental Spa and a University of Pennsylvania faculty member, “Taking care of your teeth can improve your life expectancy.”
Berson’s partner, Dr. Harold Yaffe, says this may be because ability to chew has an effect on nutrition. Generally, people with teeth are living longer than those without, he added.
“(Seniors) do and should spend more time cleaning and caring for their teeth, using more fluoride, by prescription, if necessary,” says Berson. ”Besides dental visits, care at home is important — cleaning, flossing at least twice a day.”
Also emphasizing frequent visits, Dr. Michael Adams, of Craven Dental & Associates, urges check-ups at least twice a year, and twice that often for people with diabetes, because they are more susceptible to gum infection and mouth diseases.“As we get older, gums recede, root and surface decay can occur.”
More fluoride than most toothpastes contain may be necessary, Adams added. “To get the higher level of fluoride, you may need a prescription.”