Oldest woman in Scotland dies, aged 110
WHEN she was born, Einstein was formulating his Theory of Relativity and the First World War was still a decade in the future.
But back in 1904, no one in the village of Rico di Tresana, near Pisa in Italy, could ever have imagined that the new-born child would one day be celebrated as the oldest person in Scotland.
Sadly, Maria Lazzeri died on February 13 at the grand old age of 110 – only a month short of her 111th birthday.
Mrs Lazzeri, of Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, moved to Glasgow’s East End with her husband Americo in 1924.
They opened a chip shop, but she gave up the business in 1989 after he suffered a fatal heart attack. Even then, at 85, she went to work in local deli Eusebi, where she did three shifts a week until she was 100, making meatballs and cannelloni.
Mrs Lazzeri had three sons – Amerigo, who died last year at 89, Luigi, 87, and 85-year-old Joseph – six grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren. She lived through the time of five monarchs and 22 prime ministers.
After her retirement, she moved into Millbrae Care Home in Coat- bridge, but still kept active by attending church and building close relationships with fellow residents and staff.
A family spokesman said: ‘Maria was an amazing person, mum, grandmother and great-grandmother. She had such a lasting influence on all of us and we will never forget her.’
Mrs Lazzeri, who regarded herself as ‘Italian and Scottish’, once spoke of how she believed she had lived so long. She said: ‘I tell people that to live a good life I keep active, live each day as it comes and work hard. I moved to Glasgow with my husband to build a successful business and was not scared of hard work.
‘I also worked in a local deli, where I cooked food and enjoyed talking to all the customers.
‘I have many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, so my family and friends keep me busy now.’
Mrs Lazzeri became the oldest Scot on the death of Janet Roberts of Moray at 110 in 2012.
Jessie Gallan of Aberdeen, who celebrated her 109th birthday earlier this year, is now Scotland’s oldest person – and has credited her long life to ‘avoiding men and eating porridge’.
The oldest person in Britain is 112-year-old Gladys Hooper from the Isle of Wight.
The world’s oldest person is Misao Okawa of Japan, who is 116.