One South Florida family held a special celebration on Saturday to honor the life and legacy of their 100-year-old matriarch, Virginia Elias, whose younger brothers -- all in their 90s -- were also in attendance.
The Elias family has deep roots in Miami, after Virginia's father immigrated to the United States from Lebanon in 1901.
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WATCH HERE"It's something so very special. They have a bond that's been unbreakable for brothers and sisters, which is incredible, which has also been something that we all aspire to and look up to with our own children and families," Virginia's eldest niece, Jacqueline Skaf, said. "It's just a special moment because not many people are privileged to have their relatives -- your parents, your aunts, your uncles -- live this lifetime."
Donning a birthday sash and sparkly crown that read "100," Virginia was described by her family as warm, loving and selfless. Her brothers said that she assumed the role of matriarch of the family after their parents passed away.
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"She helped our parents to make sure we all got educated, and she's the glue of the family. She always kept us together," younger brother George Elias said. "You can see the crowd here -- 100 people here. This is only a fraction of the people who love her and consider her family, and she considers them family."
Virginia, alongside her brothers present at Saturday's celebration, also each have ties to military service. Virginia was a riveter during World War II, working in general machinery to help create bombs, George remembered. Some of her brothers served in World War II for the U.S. military, while each of her brothers were in the service during the Korean War. Beyond their military ties, though, the Elias siblings were involved in cardiology, the legal field and more.
"You've got to work together. You've got to help one another," George said. "You've got to help others who are less fortunate, and we have tried to live up to that."
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A fifth younger brother, Albert, passed away at the age of 88. But George described his sibling as a "genius" who could have pursued any avenue of his choosing.
"Albert was the most remarkable of all," he said.
Speaking with NBC6 at the birthday celebration, George had a St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital pin attached to his lapel. That's because George is the last living founding board member of the research hospital, which hit particularly close to home after his own son was diagnosed with leukemia in the 1970s, ultimately losing his cancer battle.
"I remember kept saying to my mom, 'Mom, when's Chris coming home?'" George's son, David Elias said. "My mom said, 'Honey, he's not coming back,' and I said, 'What do you mean?' 'Well, he's going to be with God.' 'Well, when will God finish with him?' Little did I realized at that time, my brother would pass away in January of 1970. It was one of the few times ever in my life that I've seen my dad break down."
George said that his involvement with St. Jude's, which has included extensive fundraising efforts over the years to ensure that no family ever receives a bill for treatment, stemmed from his parents' teachings to give back. That's something he said his older sister, Virginia, has embodied throughout her life, as well.
"When she was born 100 years ago, people had very fixed ideas about life, about relationships, about what young women and young men could do together, about races, and she was evolved," Skaf said. "She has kept her thinking so current, and I think that's remarkable that someone can change so much with the times and not be stuck with what they were used to growing up, because think about it -- 100 years ago was 1923. Think about how different people's mentalities were at the time."
