Mafalda ‘Muffy’ Brown earns membership in Dr. Palekar’s 90’s Club
Turning 90 is a real reason to celebrate, and in Mafalda Brown’s case, she enjoyed two celebrations. Mafalda – named for an Italian princess – has the honor of being the 90th member of Dr. Bhaskar Palekar’s 90’s Club.
“I started the 90’s Club years ago when I realized that many of my patients were reaching their 90th birthdays,” said Palekar, of Beebe Internal Medicine - Lewes. “The important thing to note is that many of my patients are in their 90s and are healthy. They are active and continue to come in for regular preventive visits.”
Muffy has been seeing Dr. Palekar for more than 30 years. “My husband and I started coming to Dr. Palekar when we moved to Rehoboth Beach from Wilmington,” Muffy said. “He’s the best doctor and has kept me going all these years.”
Muffy is 100 percent Italian and grew up in the Little Italy section of Wilmington. She married her husband, Bill, nicknamed “Brownie,” an avid golfer, and they had a daughter, Sandy, and a son, David. Muffy worked as an auditor for DuPont for more than 30 years.
“I still remember calling Mom at work and her answering the phone, ‘Auditing Division,’” recalled Sandy, who is married to Richard Porter and lives in Naples, Fla., and Ocean View. Sandy’s brother David lives in Annapolis with his wife Beverly. Muffy’s grandson Jason lives in Baltimore.
In the 1980s, Muffy and her husband decided to move to Rehoboth Beach. Their first property was on Christian Street, and they later built a home in Rehoboth Beach Yacht and Country Club.
“I retired, but I didn’t want to just sit at home,” Muffy said. “I went to work for Jack Lingo and worked with them for 17 years. I loved it.”
Sandy agreed, “Mom never wanted to be idle. She was always going, always doing something.”
Muffy also volunteered for various organizations, including Beebe Healthcare’s Tunnell Cancer Center. Before she stopped driving, she served St. Edmond’s Church for many years as a Eucharistic minister, and she was an active member of the Cape Henlopen Senior Center in Rehoboth Beach.
Her husband passed in 1990, but other than a heart attack about 30 years ago, Muffy has stayed healthy. As she approached 90 years old, Muffy had to slow down a bit when she had some balance issues. She uses a walker and wheelchair now, but that doesn’t keep her down. She still enjoys socializing with friends where she lives at The Moorings at Lewes, formerly called Cadbury.
“I like to play cards, chat with people, and I used to enjoy Wii bowling, too,” said Muffy with a smile. “Keeping busy and being with people is how I keep going, I think.”
Dr. Palekar said staying active and participating in groups is one great way for people to stay sharp and healthy. “Modern preventive medicine is definitely one of the secrets to longevity, because the patients are seeing a physician regularly,” he said. “This way, they don’t fall through the cracks, and while they are here I talk to them about preventing falls, eating well, and I have them do regular blood work to make sure they are on the right path.
“They know I am available to them if they ever need anything, so that provides comfort of mind,” he added. “I support them and help them plan for all phases of life.”
Dr. Palekar and his office care team hope to continue adding more of his patients to the 90’s Club.
Anyone in need of primary care can find out more about physicians and care providers affiliated with Beebe Healthcare at www.beebehealthcare.org/find-a-doc. To find out how to celebrate excellent care, call Beebe Medical Foundation at 302-644-2900 or go to www.beebemedicalfoundation.org/cec.
