Marlene Haggerty doesn’t believe in sitting still.

The 90-year-old Brackenridge resident works full time as a medical biller, teaches Sunday school and serves as an Allegheny County judge of elections.

“I wish I knew my secret, but the truth is: I’m just active,” Haggerty said. “It keeps you going.”

Born in Massachusetts, Haggerty’s family moved to Springdale when she was an infant.

She graduated from Springdale High School and attended the Boyce Park campus of Allegheny County Community College for accounting.

“I left just before I graduated because I got a job,” Haggerty said. “I never looked back.”

As a young adult, she worked as a bookkeeper for the Ritz Shop, an upscale clothing store with locations in New Kensington, Natrona Heights, Jeannette and Oakland.

“I was there seven years, and I loved it,” Haggerty said.

When the company shuttered, she didn’t skip a beat. She worked in the billing department for 14 years at Silverman’s Pharmacy in Parnassus, and when that store closed, Haggerty ramped up her hours to double-time.

“I got a job during the day at Blackburn’s in Tarentum and after hours, I would still go to Silverman’s while they got all their ends ties together.”

She has been at Blackburn’s since 1997. The company opened as a pharmacy and has since diversified to include medical equipment and supplies. Haggerty works in Medicare billing.

“It’s not boring,” she said. “We’re busy, and we have it nice there.”

Co-worker Dawn Cetti called Haggerty an inspiration.

“At 90 years young, she stands as a living testament to the power of hard work, integrity and compassion,” Cetti said. “Her career has spanned eras, industries and generations. Yet through it all, one thing has remained constant: Marlene’s unwavering commitment to excellence and service.

“She not only has helped thousands of customers over the years working in health care, but she has also dedicated numerous hours to the community, her family and the church.”

Cetti said Haggerty has set a goal to be the first centenarian at Blackburn’s — and “we all look forward to seeing it!”

Weekends aren’t time for rest in the Haggerty house.

That time is reserved for volunteering at First United Presbyterian Church in Tarentum, which Haggerty joined “when I got married and came up north from Springdale.”

The Rev. Phil Beck likened Haggerty to the Energizer Bunny.

“Marlene has taught Sunday school for the 25 years I have been at the church and before that as well,” Beck said. “She has served in leadership as an elder and deacon. She still cooks for all children’s events — which draw more than 200 people — plus vacation Bible school.”

Haggerty runs the Junior Church program and, Beck said, “you can guarantee that she is in the pew in the front every Sunday.”

“Nothing seems to stop her,” he said. “She seems to thrive with the activity of cooking and being with the kids.”

Haggerty also serves her community by working the borough’s polling site for Allegheny County. Twice a year, she puts in 13-hour days as judge of elections at the Pioneer Hose Company firehall on Morgan Street. She has been at it nearly 30 years.

“Oh, I love it,” she said. “You get to see almost everyone in town on those days.”

A borough resident for 60 years, Haggerty still lives in the same Roup Avenue house where she raised her three children. Now she enjoys time with her 12 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

“Everyone asks when I’m gonna retire,” Haggerty said. “I don’t know. I just put everything on the back burner and dwell on the good.”

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