- December 4, 2025
Paradise Pointe Assisted Living & Memory Care will celebrate National Centenarian's Day on Monday, Sept. 22, by honoring two residents — each who has surpassed their 100th birthday.
Dorothy "Dee" Hardeman, 101, was born in 1924 in Hartford, Connecticut. She is a veteran who grew up in Berlin, Connecticut, according to a press release. She married her husband William in Ormond Beach, and they were married for 54 years, raising a family of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Hardeman was a nurse and graduate of Daytona Community College, and often offers staff "nursing advice," the press release states.
"I have always liked to stay busy and I am still doing that today," she said. "I want to be independent and not wait for people to do things for me. It is important for me to stay busy and to help people. Paradise Pointe is my family and I like to help my friends and neighbors as much as I can.”
Mary Wilson, 100, was born in 1925 in Windom, Minnesota. She is known for her "energy, faith, and love of sunshine," the press release states. Adopted at 5 years old, she said her parents gave her "a good life." She later married her husband Richard, and together, they raised 10 children, two of whom died at an early age.
Wilson enjoys walking the halls for exercise and sitting outside in the sunshine. The press release states that, for her 100th birthday, she accomplished one special wish: hitting a golf ball in the Paradise Pointe courtyard.
“The secret to being happy in life is to have a good family," Wilson said. "As I get older, being with my children and enjoying life makes me so happy.” She added, “Always have faith. When you have faith, that helps you hold things together even in the worst of times.”
At Paradise Pointe’s celebration at noon on Sept. 22, both women will be crowned "Paradise Pointe Royalty for the Day," surrounded by family, friends, residents, and staff.
“Both of these women are full of life and very spunky,” said Darlinda Copeland CEO at Paradise Pointe. “Ms. Dee likes to tell our nurses what to do and when she is to get her medicine — must be the nurse in her! Mary is just as spirited and still full of energy. Both of them love living at Paradise Pointe. Ms. Dee even says she will never leave, because Paradise Pointe isn’t just her home, it’s her family.”
