Alma, Matriarch of The Wahlberg Family, Has Died

Alma Wahlberg, the matriarch of the famous Wahlberg family, has died at the age of 78. The family had not confirmed when exactly she died or what the cause of her death was. Her son Donnie Wahlberg previously stated that she had been diagnosed with dementia.

The most famous of her children, actor Mark Wahlberg, paid tribute to his late mother, posting a photo of her with the caption, “My angel. Rest in peace.” He later posted a photo of her with some of her grandchildren with the caption, “Miss you grandma.” Another son of hers, actor and singer Donnie Wahlberg posted a video and eulogized her by explaining, “My mom Alma’s joy for life, love and people — combined with a pride in her humble beginnings and refusal to forget where she came from — undoubtedly shaped me into the man that I am.”

Donnie’s wife, Playboy model-turned-actress and television hostess, Jenny McCarthy, wrote on Instagram, “To my sweet Alma. I could not have asked for a better mother-in-law. Always kind, always made me feel loved and she will always be an inspiration to so many.. Love you so much Alma.”

The mother-turned-eventual-reality star was born on May 6th, 1942, growing up in Boston, Massachusetts, where she remained for most of her life, working as a bank clerk and then a nurse’s aide. She eventually married Paul Wahlberg, a delivery man, and over the years, they had nine children, including Mark, as mentioned earlier, and Donnie, actor Robert Wahlberg, and chef Paul Wahlberg.

Mark Wahlberg began his career in the public eye as a rapper in the group Marky Mark And The Funky Bunch before transitioning into an acting career with movies like “The Departed,” “The Fighter,” and the highly successful “Ted” movies. His older brother Donnie went on to be a part of the revolutionary boy-band New Kids On The Block and became a regular on the police procedural “Blue Bloods.” Like his younger brother Mark, Robert is also an actor, having appeared in movies like “Mystic River,” and Paul is a chef, having founded the restaurant chain Wahlburgers.

Alma’s later years were caught on camera with A&E’s hit reality show “Wahlburgers,” dedicated to showing the exploits of the Wahlberg family in their attempts to run their family restaurants. She often acted as the show’s comedic foil, reacting to Donnie and Mark’s ridiculous attempts to rile up Paul while showing some great comedic timing herself.

She will be missed.