In 1926, U.S. Route 66 was officially established, A.A. Milne introduced the world to Winnie-the-Pooh and students took the very first Scholastic Aptitude Test.
That same year, on July 26, a remarkable woman named Eugenia Gutierrez was born in San José, Costa Rica. Now a Riverview resident, Gutierrez recently celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by family, friends and the staff who have become an extension of her family at Hillsborough County Adult Day Services.
The Wimauma Senior Center hosted a festive Roaring Twenties-themed celebration complete with music, dancing and a fashion show featuring staff and members dressed in 1920s attire.
“Not in her dreams did she imagine that her birthday was going to be this type of event,” said her daughter, Dora Huerta. “The Wimauma Senior Center has become her second home. She comes every day. She’s very happy, and I’m very grateful.”
Gutierrez’s century-long journey has been defined by service to others. After studying nursing in Costa Rica, she became both a registered nurse and an obstetrics nurse, dedicating her career to caring for others.
She immigrated to the United States in 1981, settling in Reno, Nevada, where she continued serving her community through a home health agency until retirement.
Five years ago, she moved to Riverview to be closer to Huerta, but her active lifestyle has never slowed down.
A woman of deep Christian faith, Gutierrez has always believed in helping those less fortunate. Throughout her life, she encouraged others to pursue nursing careers and volunteered through her church to assist families in need.
She also embraced healthy living and routinely took two-hour walks and remained a regular at the gym throughout her 60s, 70s and 80s.
Her adventurous spirit extended well beyond the gym. Gutierrez traveled throughout Central America and visited Mexico, Colombia, Canada and many parts of the United States before eventually making Florida her home.
Family has always been at the center of Gutierrez’s life. She is the proud mother of six children and has played an active role in raising generations of her family. Today, her legacy includes 16 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren.
“It’s an honor and a blessing to have her as a grandmother,” said granddaughter Lisa Meadows. “It’s a big milestone. One hundred is a big deal.”
The birthday celebration also highlighted the important role Hillsborough County Adult Day Services plays in the lives of local seniors and their caregivers. The program provides comprehensive health, social, supportive and therapeutic services for functionally impaired seniors in community-based settings. Centers are located in Tampa, Brandon, Plant City and Wimauma.
For Gutierrez, however, the celebration was about much more than reaching the century mark. It honored a lifetime devoted to faith, family, compassion and caring for others — a legacy that continues to inspire everyone fortunate enough to know her.
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