A well-known couple, and longtime residents of Owego, had several reasons to celebrate last weekend, and were able to do so from a social distance. All this, thanks to some tech savvy relatives that wanted to share in birthday celebrations for both Jim Sr. and Virginia Raftis, and, of course, the celebration of Easter.
Ironically, and only happening for the third time in her life, Virginia’s birthday fell on Easter Sunday. Jim’s Birthday was on Saturday.
Virginia Raftis is pictured on the porch in The Flats on her birthday last Sunday, which was also Easter Day. Provided photo.
But with social distancing in place, Virginia celebrating her 84th birthday and Jim his 88th, family members had to come up with a way to celebrate these occasions while keeping everyone safe.
Social media was one of the creative ways to celebrate. Jim’s son, also Jim Raftis, took photos of both Virginia and Jim on their porch in the Flats area in Owego and posted them to Facebook.
In one photo, Jim is holding a sign that says, “Happy 88th Birthday,” his hand resting on the American flag. Virginia’s sign read, “Happy Birthday and Blessed Easter.”
Jim stated he received about 300 comments and 266 reactions to the post; Virginia had 200 comments and 280 reactions.
Pictured is the basket left by the family on Jim and Virginia’s porch last Sunday by family members, and prior to a videoconference. Provided photo.
But the highlight for Jim, he noted, was on Sunday when his sister Carol, a former teacher living in the Newark, N.J. area, arranged a zoom conference with family members from Birmingham, Alabama; Denver, Colorado; two locations in New Jersey; Olean, N.Y.; Syracuse, N.Y.; and even from Los Vegas. Jim’s grandson, Joshua, who’s getting ready to graduate from law school in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a ceremony that has been postponed, was online for the Zoom call.
All together, there were over a dozen family members that joined in the call to sing Happy Birthday, and to pass some one-liners to each other.
“It was wonderful,” said Jim of the call, exclaiming, “We had the entire family all at once.”
Jim Raftis Sr. is pictured during last year’s birthday; an occasion celebrated annually at the Romeo table at Becky’s Diner in Waverly. Provided photo.
For the celebration, Jim’s granddaughter Stephanie, who is a third year first grade teacher at Ithaca Elementary Northeast, brought a basket to set on the porch. Inside were cards, pencils, pens, and of course, Jim said with a chuckle, hand sanitizers.
“No eggs,” Jim continued.
A sign in the basket, that stated, “Stay Safe and Stay Healthy – We care about you,” summed up the nature of this year’s birthday celebration for both Virginia and Jim.
You see, a normal birthday celebration for Jim Raftis is at the Romeo table at Becky’s Diner each year. But when we initially spoke with Jim about his unique birthday celebration, he stated that the late Leon Thomas sent him a message from heaven, telling him to stay home.
A Romeo birthday celebration is a sight to see! And this year’s Romeo birthday celebration would have covered four members, celebrating birthdays simultaneously. The grand event was planned for April 14, and would have included the birthdays of Jim, Mayor Pat Ayres, Frank Roney, and Jim Smith.
Pictured is a sign that Jim and Virginia’s family left in an Easter Basket for them. Provided photo.
Sadly, and because of the pandemic, it never materialized. And the birthday cards weren’t passing around the table for Jim Raftis this year, or the others. Jim did note, however, that he received a card from Waverly’s former Mayor, a second in command of sorts at the Romeo table, Dan Leary.
“We’ll save the cards for a later date,” said Jim, as he talked fondly of his friends, the Romeos.
He noted that there are approximately one dozen Romeo members that routinely gather, especially on a birthday, and then twice a year they have a picnic at The Falls at Waverly Glen. They make an annual visit, as well, to Jack Millage at the nursing center in Athens, Pa.
Jim Raftis was welcomed into the group once he was able to prove he was born at the old Tioga County General. “This qualified me to be a Romeo,” Jim said, adding, “I had three years of probation before Leon [Thomas] let me in.”
But for this year, it was off to the porch. Sunday’s videoconference, straight from The Flats in Owego allowed him to connect even further with his family.
As for Easter Sunday the couple celebrated mass in a big way, watching four Easter Sunday Masses – Pope Francis celebrating the Solemn Mass of Easter from a nearly empty St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican and then his Easter Message and Greetings to the World at 5 a.m.; Easter Mass live on EWTN at 8 a.m.; Archbishop Timothy Cardinal Dolan celebrating Easter Mass and homily from an empty St. Patrick’s Cathedral at 10:15 a.m.; and Rochester Bishop Salvatore Matano celebrating Easter Mass and homily from Sacred Heart Cathedral at 11 a.m.
For Virginia, with her birthday falling once again on Easter Sunday, she was feeling doubly blessed.
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