Alma Wahlberg, the matriarch of the Wahlberg family, passed away in April 2021 at the age of 78 after battling dementia. She was survived by her nine children, Michelle, Paul, Arthur, Jim, Tracey, Robert, Donnie, Mark, and the late Debbie, who passed away in 2003 at the age of 43.
Alma’s ex-husband, Donald Wahlberg, passed away in 2008. Though the youngest of the family, Donnie and Mark are the most famous, Alma also became well-known after appearing on the family’s reality show, “Wahlburgers,” which documented their lives running a family restaurant.
Both Mark and Donnie Wahlberg shared heartfelt tributes for their mother on social media. Mark, who credits his faith for helping him overcome many things, posted a photo of his late mother wearing a pink blazer on Instagram and wrote, “My angel.
Meanwhile, Alma’s passing has also ended their daily chats, which was a routine that meant a lot to Mark. Donnie shared a lengthy tribute, saying that he felt “blessed to have been brought into this world by, raised by, taught by and set on my life’s path by, such an amazing woman.”
Donnie, a former member of the boy band “New Kids on the Block” and an actor on “Blue Bloods,” also shared a compilation of clips of his mother throughout the years, including one from his wedding and one of Alma smashing a cupcake in her son’s face. He described his mother as “the most loving human being” and “the epitome of the word grace.”
She was always an angel.
— Donnie Wahlberg (@DonnieWahlberg) April 18, 2021
Now she has her wings.
Rest peacefully Alma.
As Always, your Baby Donnie#RIPAlma 🙏🏼❤️🕊😢 https://t.co/qrR7foxSM8 pic.twitter.com/IICsPPwHlp
Alma was born in Boston and worked as a bank clerk and nurse’s aide while raising her children. She later became a greeter and hostess at the family restaurant. When asked by her kids which one of them was her favorite, Alma famously replied, “Whoever I’m with at the time.”