Rockville Centre resident celebrates a century

Vera Rooney Clark, who lives in Halandia Court on N. Centre Avenue, celebrated her 100th birthday on July 29. She was born in Copenhagen, Denmark while her parents were on a show business tour. Her father, Percy Harvey, was a member of the Four Harveys High Wire Act that traveled all over Europe with the circus there. He married Josie Rooney who performed with her sister Julia in a song and dance vaudeville routine known as the Rooney Sisters, which at that time, prior to World War II, was highly popular on both sides of the Atlantic. Josie and Julia’s brother was the famous Pat Rooney of vaudeville in the same era as George M. Cohen and Eddy Foy.

Vera (known to all as ViVi) was also in show business for a few years, in an act, also known as “The Rooney Sisters” with her sister Ellen. The act broke up when ViVi and Ellen chose marriage over the footlights in the late 1920s. ViVi is the sole survivor of the show business family.

Vivi’s oldest daughter, Patricia Bleier lives in upstate New York with her husband Bill and their three sons. ViVi’s son, Mickey Clark, is a resident of Rockville Centre and active in the community. Her youngest daughter, Pam Travers, works for the Village of Rockville Centre and has four children, two live in Rockville Centre, one on eastern Long Island and one in Albany. ViVi boasts of having seven grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren with an eleventh due in early September.

The family had a big birthday party for ViVi on July 31 at MacArthur Park on Maple Avenue, where the Clark and Travers families have celebrated many family events over the years. Former Mayor Gene Murray and his wife Mary Lou, dear friends of the family, attended. Mayor Mary Bossart presented ViVi with a proclamation on the occasion of her 100th year.

ViVi was a Super Star on her birthday and her great grandson, Steven Bleier, serenaded her with “My Way.” She’s certainly done it her way. Fun was had by all.