“This is paradise.” That’s what Swedish immigrant Bee Lalli and her sister thought the first time they crossed the causeway into Orient in 1953.

More than seven decades later, the longtime Orient resident is preparing to celebrate her 100th birthday Tuesday, July 21, with the same appreciation for the North Fork that first drew her here.

“I don’t know the secret,” she told The Suffolk Times ahead of a 100 birthday celebration Sunday. “My mother lived to be 100, and I’ve been blessed with good health.”

Age has not slowed her down. Ms. Lalli said she still drives, cooks for herself and starts each morning with nothing more than an aspirin.

“I feel blessed — gratefully blessed,” she added. “Everything seemed to fall into place. I was never rich, but I could always pay my bills and I enjoy life. I’m happy.”

Ms. Lalli’s path to Orient began in Sweden, where she grew up before coming to the United States shortly after finishing high school. Wanting to improve her English, she landed a job as a nanny through a family friend.

She soon met Michael Lalli, married him in 1950 and built a life in New York, raising three daughters in White Plains.

Three years later, Ms. Lalli and her sister first visited Orient and were immediately drawn to the rural landscape, which reminded her of her native Sweden.

The Lallis later purchased property in Orient and eventually built a summer cottage in 1980. After retiring in 2007, they made it their permanent home. Mr. Lalli died a short time later, leaving Ms. Lalli to continue the life they built together on the North Fork.

Over the years, she became a longtime volunteer and supporter of the Oysterponds Historical Society. She is also an active member of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Greenport, which she described as her “first family” on the North Fork.

“It’s was a very warm, welcoming church,” she said.

Her love for Orient also inspired a commitment to preserving its open spaces and rural character.

“When you go over the causeway, that’s the start of paradise,” Ms. Lalli said. “I just hope it stays that way. That’s why preserving the land is so important. I love nature, and I think people need to get back to it.”

Asked what she’s most proud of, Ms. Lalli didn’t point to her volunteer work.

“I think putting my three kids, Kristine Brock, Dr. Karen Lalli and Kathi O’Hara, through college was my greatest accomplishment,” she said. “They all have a good educational background.”

Her advice to younger generations is rooted in kindness and adaptability.

“Be kind to other people. Think about your neighbor, share what you have and your life will be blessed,” she advised. “You have to be flexible. If you can’t adapt and be flexible, you’re not going to survive.”

Instead of presents for herself, Ms. Lalli’s wish is for a gift for her church.

“They don’t have a Christmas tree. When you come from Southold into Greenport, that church is dark. We’ve got to have a Christmas tree with lights,” she said. “Christmas is celebrated in Sweden … In the winter time, the sun is up at nine and sets at three. So for us, Light at Christmastime is very important. That’s what I want for my birthday.”

Friends and neighbors will celebrate her milestone Sunday with an ice cream social at the Old Point Schoolhouse, 1555 Village Lane in Orient. Proceeds will benefit the Oysterponds Historical Society.

“What do I need at 100 years old?” she asked. “I’m having an ice cream social because I want to share it with other people. I don’t need anything.”

The post Orient resident Bee Lalli celebrates ‘paradise’ as she turns 100: ‘Be kind’ appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

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