Advertisement

Alma Wahlberg, Matriarch of the Wahlberg Family and ‘Wahlburgers’ Star, Dies at 78

Ellise Shafer
·2-min read

Alma Wahlberg, the matriarch of the Wahlberg family who was prominently featured on the reality show “Wahlburgers,” has died. She was 78.

Various members of the Wahlberg family, including Mark and Donnie, made the announcement on Sunday morning via social media.

More from Variety

“My angel. Rest in peace,” Mark wrote on Twitter, while Donnie said, “She was always an angel. Now she has her wings.”

Alma grew up in the Dorchester area of Boston and married Donald E. Wahlberg in 1965. Alma raised nine children: Arthur, James, Michelle, Paul, Tracey, Robert, Donnie, Mark and Debbie, who died in 2003. She also worked as a bank clerk and nurse’s aide, according to her A&E biography for “Wahlburgers.” Alma and Donald divorced in 1982, and Donald died in 2008.

Alma became a beloved feature of the family’s reality show “Wahlburgers,” which ran for 10 seasons from 2014 to 2019. According to IMDb, Alma was featured in 27 episodes of the show, which followed the family’s burgeoning restaurant business. Alma worked as a greeter and hostess at her sons’ restaurants — including Paul’s Alma Nove, which was named after her — sharing “her infectious laugh and sense of humor with everyone who comes to dine,” as the A&E bio states.

In a longer tribute to Alma posted to his Instagram, Donnie wrote: “I’m so 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. 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.”

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.