Canton resident prepares for milestone birthday

This story originally appeared in the September 5 edition of the Canton Citizen.

It’s probably safe to say that Hooky Darack has been playing tennis for longer than anybody else in Canton. She first learned it at camp when she was 13 years old and has been playing ever since. That may not sound noteworthy, but she will be celebrating her 100th birthday on October 12.

Hooky Darack with Betty Biggs

Darack’s home court is at Orchard Cove, where she plays with Jake Wolicki, a college sophomore from Canton who has been volunteering at the residence since he was in high school. She also played this spring at the South Shore YMCA when she and another senior woman were paired up to play with the resident pro Bob Carroll. In the past, Darack usually played doubles, traveling around the area to various clubs.

Tennis is only one of Darack’s interests. Her list of activities is extensive, even when compared to people half her age. Currently, she plays ping pong and bridge, participates in an exercise class, grows tomatoes and flowers, and performs in annual theater productions, all at Orchard Cove. At Christmas time, she plays Santa Claus for the residents, distributing gifts for everyone, a project she funds herself. She has been involved in Orchard Cove committees, serving on the Health Committee and as co-chair of the Residents Association. She has worked at Canton election polls, gone on a half dozen food pantry walks, and keeps track of town activities and events.

Named Carolyn at birth, Darack was given the nickname of Hooky as a toddler by her father as part of a game they played. “There was no playing hooky from school involved!” she said. The nickname stuck, and Hooky she has remained.

Darack attributes her long life mostly to genetics, in addition to the fact that her mother “put great emphasis on health.” Born in Brookline around the corner from the Rose and Joe Kennedy family, Darack grew up with five brothers and sisters. They were sometimes dressed in sailor suits, as were the Kennedy children, which, added to a similarity in features between Darack’s mother and Rose Kennedy, resulted in people occasionally confusing the two women. Darack said, however, “We didn’t really get to know the Kennedys.”

She married during her junior year at Simmons College School of Social Work. When her husband was sent overseas by the Army, she volunteered with Traveler’s Aid, assisting soldiers on leave. She remembers that during World War II, streetlights in Boston were painted black in compliance with wartime blackout regulations.

Later on, after Darack’s husband returned from service, they had three children. When he died young, she went to work to support the family. Her first job was with the Massachusetts Committee Against the Death Penalty. Next, she worked for the Greater Boston Heart Association and later became executive director of the Massachusetts Health Council, an umbrella organization with a mission Darack described as “better health care for individuals and communities.” Her work focused on professional development and supporting proposed legislation. She also helped start the first hospice in Massachusetts — at Good Shepherd in Newton in 1978 — and was a founding member of the Museum of Public Health, which opened in 1994.

Three years after her husband died, Darack had married again, to a man she met through a work connection. Melvin Darack, a businessman and widower, brought three children to the marriage. She and Melvin moved together to Orchard Cove about 14 years ago. In 2014, they both turned 95, celebrating with a 190th birthday party. Just a few months later, he became ill. He died in April 2015.

This summer, Darack has been organizing her upcoming centennial, which calls for two days of celebration, including a dinner and brunch for out of town guests plus a big party. A four-stanza, rhymed invitation (composed by Darack herself) has been sent to all Orchard Cove residents. The party will feature three cakes, as Darack wants to celebrate with another resident and Betty Biggs, a Canton resident and Orchard Cove driver who shares the same birth date. None of Darack’s siblings are still living, but her six children and “assorted” grandchildren and great-grandchildren are coming.

Biggs, who has become friendly with Darack through driving her to appointments, emphasized her generosity. “She didn’t have to invite me, but she’s just a person of such good humor,” Biggs said. She also reminded Darack of her recent hike up Blue Hills for a tour of the weather station. Biggs said, “She didn’t hesitate the whole way up — she just kept going.”

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Posted by Candace Paris on Sep 19 2019. Filed under Features. Both comments and pings are currently closed.