Supercentenarian Profile

Ida Albert

Born:

August 15, 1909

Taranta Peligna, Abruzzo

Italy

Died:

March 4, 2020

Colorado

United States

Ida Albert (née Aida Asunta Del Pizzo) was an Italian-born American supercentenarian.

BIOGRAPHY

Ida Albert, born Aida Asunta Del Pizzo on 15 August 1909, in Taranta Peligna, Abruzzi, Italy, was the third daughter of Giuseppe and Giuseppina Del Pizzo. After immigrating to New York with her family, she began attending school, where “Aida” was changed to “Ida” as part of the effort to Americanize immigrant children. It was as Ida that she entered the workforce after completing eighth grade to help support her family.

At the age of 8, Albert began working for a man in New Jersey who made fireworks. She was paid 50 cents a day and worked out of the man’s garage. Albert’s oldest sister, Mary, was just 11 at the time and did not qualify for working papers, which required a minimum age of 14. However, their mother persuaded the school principal to falsify Mary’s age, allowing her to secure a job at an Astoria silk mill. A few years later, Albert followed in her oldest sister’s and mother’s footsteps, working as a seamstress in textile manufacturing. Due to the need to work, she was unable to attend high school. Her youngest sister, Violet, died of tuberculosis at the age of 16.

In 1934, she married Paul Albert (formerly Albergo), and the couple welcomed their son, Frank Paul Albert, in 1941 and their daughter, Lorraine Marie Albert, in 1944. They initially lived in Astoria, Queens, close to extended family. However, they aspired to own a home, and in 1964, they achieved that dream, moving to Bayside, Queens, where Ida would live for the next 56 years.

During this time, Lorraine married and relocated to Seattle, Washington, while Frank married and settled in nearby Douglaston, Queens, ensuring he could always remain close to his mother. Ida’s husband, Paul, passed away on 8 July 1983, just months shy of their 50th wedding anniversary. Her son Frank passed away on 29 April 1990. Following these losses, Ida began making regular visits to Colorado to spend time with Lorraine. However, in 2008, at the age of 99, she experienced a medical emergency during one of her trips, prompting her doctor to advise against further travel.

Albert spent the majority of her final decade at home in Bayside (New York City), receiving personalized care from dedicated caretakers. Shortly after celebrating her 110th birthday, she made the difficult decision to move to Colorado to be closer to Lorraine. She spent her last four months surrounded by family, getting to know her great-grandchildren.

Ida Albert passed away on 4 March 2020, at the age of 110 years, 202 days.