Thursday, October 1, 2026
As Valley Stream commemorates 100 years as a village, one of its lifelong residents has reached a centennial of her own.
Florence M. Gunther, born in the village on Dec. 2, 1925, celebrated her 100th birthday, marking a personal milestone that mirrors the anniversary observed by the community she has called home for her entire life. Her birthday was celebrated at the Orzac Center for Rehabilitation at Long Island Jewish Valley Stream Hospital on the day of the occasion.
Gunther was born in the family home on Valley Stream Boulevard. She was the eldest of 14 children, all born in the same house. As the oldest, she spent much of her youth caring for her younger siblings, a role that shaped her early life. She is the only sibling still living. Gunther later became the mother of two daughters, Diane Gunther and Linda C. Forthofer.
“Advice to others, she says, ‘get involved and stay busy, ’” Forthofer said. “She never thought that she would be here at the age of 100.”
She married Joseph C. Gunther on May 21, 1949. The couple shared 66 and a half years of marriage until his passing on Christmas Eve nearly 10 years ago, at age 92. Their life together included shared interests, particularly in music. Both were members of the Valley Stream Community Band, with him playing trombone and her playing flute. Their musical connection began earlier in life, as both had participated in the band at Valley Stream Central High School. Music remained a steady presence throughout the years they spent together.
Gunther’s involvement in Valley Stream community life extended well beyond her participation in local music. She volunteered at Blessed Sacrament Church, a parish where her family maintained close relationships with the priests. At Mercy Hospital, she delivered newspapers to patients and she served as president of the church’s Rosary Society. Her activities also included bowling with the Catholic Youth Organization and participating in the Elks Club.
Her civic engagement included work with the Valley Stream Historical Society, where she served as treasurer until roughly five years ago. According to her family, she noted changes in banking practices as she stepped away from the position.
In later years, after the responsibilities of caring for her siblings had passed, Gunther began traveling more widely. She visited every state in the country, sometimes accompanied by her husband and at other times by friends when he preferred not to travel. Her more recent trips included visits to Disney and a riverboat cruise along the Mississippi River, experiences she had within the past three years.
Gunther has longstanding connections to local businesses and landmarks. She has maintained a fondness for Mitchell’s on Rockaway Avenue, a place linked to her family through her husband’s carpentry work.
“Dad was a carpenter and worked on the Mitchells’ family home,” Forthofer said. “Plus, the historical building (Pagan-Fletcher Restoration) on Hendrickson Ave, and he built his house on Benedict Ave. 71 years ago. That is where she lived until she fractured her ankle.”
Having lived in Valley Stream throughout a century of change, from farmland to a developed suburban community, Gunther reaches her 100th year surrounded by multiple generations of family, including her 11 great-grandchildren. Her milestone comes at a moment when both she and her hometown share a rare centennial celebration.
