Saturday, April 26, 2025
Valley Stream may be celebrating 100 years, but for some of its residents, that’s just a number. Recently, three women have marked milestones that match or stretch well beyond the village’s own history. Doris Myers turned 100 in February. Anna Svirida reached 105. And in November, Mary Ryder entered her 102nd year.
Their lives span world wars, economic collapses, and technological revolutions. They have buried husbands, outlived children, and endured tragedies that could have broken them. Instead, they persisted — fostering community and family while quietly stretching the limits of a human lifespan.
Myers doesn’t dwell on the past, but her century-long journey is impossible to ignore. For more than six decades, she has called Valley Stream home, building a life with her husband, Jeanne, and raising two children. When she lost her son at a young age, she did what she has always done—she kept going.
“Whenever you’re faced with adversity, lean on God for strength and guidance,” she has often said.
Her longtime friend, Judy Gilbert, puts it plainly: “Doris is a good woman. She never turned away from someone who needed her.”
Myers spent years volunteering with the United Service Organization, taking on leadership roles on its board of directors. Never one for self-promotion, she worked behind the scenes, leaving an imprint on the community that many don’t even realize.
When asked about her secret to longevity, she doesn’t overcomplicate things: Eat well, stay active, live with purpose.
Mary Ryder was born in Brooklyn in 1922 and married her husband, William Benjamin Ryder, just after World War II. The couple moved to Oxford Street in Valley Stream, where she still lives today, in a home her father-in-law built nearly a century ago.
For five decades, Ryder was a cornerstone of Holy Name of Mary Church, singing in the choir for 35 years and serving in parish groups like the Rosary Society and Catholic Daughters. At 50, she reinvented herself, training as a home health aide at Nassau Community College and spending years caring for others.
Now, at 102, she’s on the receiving end of that care. But those who know her say her optimism is as unwavering as ever.
Then there’s Anna Svirida. Born in 1920, she has seen America transform—from the depths of the Great Depression to the age of artificial intelligence. Her life has been a testament to resilience. After losing her husband unexpectedly, she pushed forward, staying active in the lives of her family and community.
For years, she was a fixture at Valley Stream’s parades and concerts. Though time has slowed her, she remains committed to one civic duty: voting.
Her advice for longevity? “Work hard, and you will be able to achieve your dream.” The National Institute on Aging estimates that fewer than 100,000 people worldwide make it past 105. For those born in 2019, only 0.4% of women and 0.09% of men will reach that age.
As Valley Stream marks its own milestone, it does so with three living testaments to endurance. It’s safe to say, the village is in good company.
Have an opinion on this article? Send an email to jlasso@liherald.com.
