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Senior Reaches Great Heights For Birthday
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Four generation skydivers, from left: Lori Sousa, Marie McAnally, Aaron McAnally and Brenden McAnally recently took the jump at Lodi Airport to celebrate the upcoming 83rd birthday of Marie McAnally. Photo Contributed

 

Marie McAnally wasn’t just interested in a cake and candles to commemorate her 83rd birthday; that would be too simple. According to McAnally’s daughter Cindy Webb, she pondered her ‘Bucket List’ instead for ideas.

“She talked about it in early March,” Webb said of her mother’s recent skydiving adventure at Lodi airport. “She said she wanted to do this for her birthday and it took off from there.”

“I had a great grandson that wanted to do it,” McAnally said. “It was at the very bottom of my Bucket List.”

McAnally officially turns 83 on Saturday, April 25. She jumped from a plane out of Lodi Airport on Sunday, April 12.

Accompanying her on the skydiving journey were her daughter-in-law Lori Sousa, grandson Aaron McAnally and great grandson Brenden McAnally.

“Aaron jumped with his son, mother and grandmother,” Webb said, “so it was a four generation jump.”

As the family took to the sky, Webb stayed put on the ground.

“I was a little worried about her landing,” the daughter stated honestly. “God forbid she break a hip or something.”

But nothing of the kind occurred.

“It really was a beautiful day,” Webb said.

For the young-at-heart 80-something, it was quite a thrill.

“It was absolutely exciting,” the senior skydiver said. “I’d do it again.”

The four-generation jump helped create a lasting memory for the entire family.

“I won’t even get on a roller coaster or a motorcycle,” McAnally said in response to her sense of danger. “But this was really thrilling.”

McAnally grew up in Riverbank and currently resides in Oakdale.

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