94-year-old trick-or-treater proves fun has no age limit
MEDIA » Despite the pandemic, as Halloween approaches, many kids and kids-at-heart are looking forward to donning a costume and going trick-ortreating. Florence Lauria, 94, is one of them.
Born and raised in New York City, the first generation Italian American never went trick-or-treating in her younger years. However, during the past four years, the nonagenarian found out what she was missing after moving in with her daughter and son-in-law, Annette and Mike Reyman of Media, in 2015.
Each year, Annette surprises her mother with a themed costume, dresses herself in a costume to complement the theme, and off they go to trick-or-treat at Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach in Media where Mike works, Lauria’s doctors’ offices at Penn Internal Medicine, Healthmark Foot & Ankle Associates in Media, Rose Tree Dental, Surrey Services in Media, and other community destinations.
“Each year since she turned 90, I have pulled together costumes for the two of us - often including our dogs in the act,” Reyman said about her mother. “She had never trick-or-treated before and got a real kick out of it. My mother has always been fun-loving and loves to laugh!”
Costumes vary from year to year and Reyman never reveals to her mother what the costume of the year will be until a day or two before Halloween.
According to Reyman, in 2016, mother and daughter dressed as witches. In 2017, the costume was Dae-nerys Targaryen/Mother of Dragons from “Game of Thrones,” with their dog dressed as a dragon. In 2018, the theme was “The Little Mermaid” — Lauria donned an Ariel costume and Reyman dressed as Ursula the Sea Witch, with the dog in a Sebastian the Crab disguise. In 2019, Lauria was Dorothy Gale in “The Wizard of Oz,” Reyman was the Wicked Witch and their three dogs trick-or-treated as Toto, the Tin Man and Glinda The Good Witch.
This year, gearing up for their fifth Halloween adventure together, Reyman will surprise her mother with a Little Red Riding Hood theme. Lauria, naturally, will have the starring role of Little Red Riding Hood, with Reyman as a deer, their dog as a huntsman, and the large mastiff, which they recently adopted, will be decked out in a Big Bad Wolf costume.
“Her doctors ask her year-round what she will be the following year,” Reyman said. “They really look forward to it. Her dentist was so disappointed to miss her visit last year that he showed up at our house with a treat bag later in the day!”
Lauria doesn’t costume-up to “get” candy, but rather likes to be the one to give it out. Reyman said Lauria insists on distributing candy to everyone whom she meets during her Halloween day celebration. She especially enjoys spreading cheer to her friends and the staff at Surrey Services, where she has been an active participant, as well as others in the community. She also derives pleasure from showing the photos of her “costume of the year” to her other three children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
As an annual tradition, the mother-daughter duo always cap off their trick-ortreating adventure at Sterling Pig in Media for lunch and a Halloween toast with a cold mug of Gourdfather Pumpkin Ale .
This year, due to federal protocols, the routine may be slightly different from previous Halloweens, but it’s not going to stop Lauria and Reyman from making their annual rounds. Her doctors plan to meet their trick-or-treating patient outside of their offices for her visit this year, Reyman says, but that won’t dampen any of Lauria’s annual Halloween fun. She is looking forward to the seasonal adventure, as much as in previous years.
If people passing through Media on Oct. 31 happen to spot a red hood, trailed by a large furry big, bad wolf, they are advised to pause a minute and smile. Remember, she’s not lost in the woods on her way to grandmom’s house, but rather just a fun-loving 94-yearold trick-or-treater, enjoying the true spirit of the season.