Happy Birthday Photos of Centenarian Beatrice "Bee" Shugrue of Brandon

Bob Hope, Irving Berlin, Rose Kennedy and George Burns did it.

Now, too, Beatrice “Bee” Shugrue of Brandon, a southern woman of grace and kindness, joins the ranks of humankind who will forever be remembered as human beings who have graced the planet earth for 100 years or more.

Shugrue of Savannah Court, wearing a colorful butterfly pin on her shirt, celebrated her milestone Feb. 18 with friends and family gathered for the first of two celebrations to mark the occasion.

Beautiful and graceful, varied and enchanting, small but approachable, butterflies lead you to the sunny side of life. And everyone deserves a little sunshine.

So wrote Jeffrey Glassberg, and so it is noted in a book of remembrances that Shugrue received in commemoration and celebration of her 10 decades of life.

In a lengthy interview, Shugrue had a lot to say about her life’s journey and where it goes from here, and she offered, as best she could, her take on what it all means and how life is best lived. In time for her second birthday party Feb. 19, at a relative's home for dinner, we plan to post an accounting of that interview at Brandon Patch.

For now, we leave you with this gallery of photos of a woman born and raised in Norfolk, Va., who said she most sincerely believes, as she put it: "If we help others, we will be blessed."

Happy Birthday, Bee.