Freehold Resident, A ‘Grandma To Everyone,' Celebrates 100 Years

FREEHOLD, NJ – If there’s one thing to know about Diamond Marropodi, it’s that she's a grandma to all.

The longtime Freehold resident, who turned 100 years old on Aug. 31, is not only known for her delicious homemade cookies and infamous macaroni and cheese recipe: she’s also known to treat everyone she meets like family, affectionately going by “Yia Yia” Diamond to all those around her.

“The most notable thing about her is her maternal role,” said Jamie Monaco, a cousin to the Marropodis. “She is a petite little thing and she has the most delicate persona and delivery. She calls everyone ‘honey’. She has four biological grandchildren and two great grandchildren, but there are dozens of people who call her ‘Yia Yia’. She is everybody’s Yia Yia.”

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Marropodi spent most of her early years raising two sons, Jimmy and Joey, while her husband worked in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. In 1963, the family moved to Long Island until the passing of her spouse a decade later. Diamond then relocated to Covered Bridge before settling down in Freehold’s Silvermead, living completely independently until her 99th birthday.

“It wasn’t even by choice,” granddaughter Nicole Marropodi, Diamond’s youngest grandchild, said of Yia Yia's transition to live with family.

Now living with her daughter in Freehold, Diamond celebrated her birthday one day early on Aug. 30 with immediate family and a giant glitter-covered sign (pictured) reading “Happy Birthday Yia Yia”.

“Our celebratory options are limited, but we wanted to do something really big,” said Monaco. “Hearing everyone and the outpouring of love has been so inspiring, and they’re all grown people who call her Yia Yia. She’s everyone’s Yia Yia.”

“A Rough Life”

Years after the passing of Diamond’s husband and subsequent move to Freehold in 1974, the family went through another devastating tragedy, Granddaughter Nicole recalls.

“She had a son who struggled with addiction,” Nicole told Patch. “[Yia Yia’s son] Jimmy had passed away, and that is something that you can’t even bring up to her to this day, but it just shows her strength and understanding and compassion, I believe.”

While Jimmy lived with Diamond in Freehold intermittently throughout the years, he stayed with his mom for about a year from 1994 to 1995 where Yia Yia nursed him through his final days.

Although he was in recovery for addiction, Jimmy Marropodi passed away at the age of 47 as a result of complications from AIDS.

“She took care of him, he took care of her too,” Nicole said.

“It affected her tremendously because she lived for him,” Nicole continued. “When your kid isn’t well, all parents do what they can and they kind of feel like ‘maybe I didn’t do enough’ or ‘was it my fault’. But these aren’t any things she’d talk about or share because she doesn’t like the negativity. You go through a rough life and you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t want anything from anybody.”

“She’s For Everyone Else”

Although Diamond lived independently in Freehold up until February, her days were far from lonely. “Yia Yia” and her famous baked goods often served as the life of family parties, with the grandmother serving the delicacies on gorgeous platters.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, the proud Greek-American – who has now lived in Freehold for over 45 years – can be seen spending her days baking and making trips to Parx Casino in Philadelphia.

Diamond’s son Joseph "Joey" Marropodi recalls that Yia Yia would be ready and waiting to be picked up at 8:30 a.m., typically serving as the oldest person on the bus and befriending other seniors. For years, up until the pandemic began, she would spend one day every month at the casino. In fact, representatives from Parx Casino management were included in an online video made for Diamond’s 100th birthday celebration, with some calling the Freehold resident an ‘inspiration’.

When she’s not hitting the slots, she can be found praying every morning and every night in her home for nearly an hour at a time.

“If you ever come across her in your life, you will be mentioned in her prayers. Some in Greek, some in English,” said Nicole. “If you ever come across her, she will pray for you, your family, everybody, even animals. She just wants good in people. It’s her kindness and wanting everybody to achieve the best or be happy. She’s for everyone else.”

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