Plant City resident Maria Josefa Azorin marks 100th birthday with two weeks of events

Maria Josefa “Jossie” Azorin celebrated her 100th birthday with nearly two weeks of festivities that ran from Oct. 2 to Oct. 13 in Plant City. The events brought together four generations of her family, including relatives who traveled from Mexico City and Olympia, Washington, to join the celebrations.

Azorin was born on Oct. 6, 1926. She has lived in Plant City since April 1963 and is married to Antonio Azorin. The couple has two children: Silvia Dodson, who is married to Bill Dodson, and Tony Azorin, who is married to Teresa Azorin. Their family includes five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Azorin is the last surviving sibling among her brothers and sisters.

For more than 60 years, Azorin has participated in various community groups in Plant City. She has been a member of the St. Clement Ladies Guild, the Woman’s Club of Plant City, the Arts Council, the Plant City Republican Women Federated, and the United Food Bank’s Empty Bowls project. She also served as a Girl Scout leader for many years.

Azorin enjoys painting and knitting. She has donated several of her paintings to charity fundraisers to support local causes. Her community involvement and faith have been central parts of her life since moving to Hillsborough County.

The final event of the birthday schedule was a party hosted by the St. Clement Catholic Women on Oct. 13. This gathering concluded the series of celebrations that began two weeks earlier. Throughout the events, family members shared memories and spent time with Azorin.

After the conclusion of the festivities on Oct. 13, Azorin expressed the need for downtime to recover from the busy schedule. “All these parties have been fun, but I need a few days of rest to recover,” she said. The family plan was to allow her several days of rest following the Oct. 13 event.