Peabody Resident Enjoys 100th Birthday Celebration

PEABODY, MA — A special gift from the city and Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt was bestowed upon Polixeni Halepakis as she celebrated her 100th birthday at Danversport Yacht Club this past weekend.

Halepakis, who turned 100 on Veterans Day, is as young as a century can possibly be with her niece, Cookie Melanson, calling her "a remarkable lady" who "cooks for anyone who stops by to visit."

"She loves company and is always so happy to see you," Melanson told Patch. "She cooks in her basement so she won't get her stove dirty upstairs in her kitchen. While she is down cooking and baking, she walks around her basement for exercise and then rides her stationary bike every day.

"Anyone who knows this lady loves her."

Halepakis's milestone was celebrated during the special party for her on Sunday.

"I was honored to attend a celebration for Mrs. Halepakis at Danversport recently and to present her with a special citation and a Peabody centennial basket," Bettencourt said.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)