Happy 100s

One Forest Hills neighbor recently marked a century on this earth. Another is closing in on that milestone.

Joseph Lyman celebrated his 100th birthday on Sunday, July 15th. Joe was a well-known lawyer in our city before his retirement, and he has lived on Brandywine Street for 50 years.

Joe celebrated with a party for fifty friends and relatives at his home on Brandywine Street. Relatives came from near and far – Joe’s brothers are gone, but there are many nieces and nephews and their children. A number of lawyers who had worked with him came to give good wishes,as well as the neighbors. To end the festivities, Joe blew out the candle (one candle representing 100 years) on a decadent chocolate cake. — Marjorie Rachlin

Henry H. Brylawski turned 99 years old on June 8, 2012 and celebrated the occasion at a luncheon for more than 100 friends and family members on June 9. The party was carefully planned by Henry and featured three professional musicians who performed several of his favorite songs of the first half of the twentieth century.

Henry introduced every guest present, explained the personal reasons he chose each of the songs performed, and sang a few of the songs himself.

Henry was born on Calvert Street. He and his late wife Molly built their house at 2813 Albemarle in 1950 and lived there until 1978.

Henry is an avid amateur scholar of the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln. He is especially proud of the fact that the bricks to his Albemarle Street residence were from Washington’s New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, which was frequently attended by President Lincoln. Henry now lives in the Van Ness North apartments. — Sam Brylawski