TMZ is reporting that the mother of Mark Wahlberg and Donnie Wahlberg, Alma Wahlberg, has passed away at the age of 78. She was born Alma McPeck on May 6th, 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts. The matriarch of the Wahlberg family, she worked as a nurse’s aide and a bank clerk in her early years. She would eventually marry Donald Edmond Wahlberg in 1965, a former U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War. They would divorce later on with Donald passing away in 2008. They would end up having 9 children, including Mark and Donnie Wahlberg. Mark addressed his mother’s health in July of 2020 saying, “During my visit, she didn’t remember much and was often confused, but somehow she was still Alma.”
Momma Wahlberg
It wasn’t until 2014 that Alma Wahlberg found herself as part of her son’s A&E hit show, Wahlburgers, which centers around the least known Wahlberg, but just as talented, Executive Chef; Paul Wahlberg, as he tries to run his successful burger joints. Mark and Donnie would visit Paul from time to time to check-in and just act like brothers. Alma Wahlberg appeared on a slew of episodes and was not shy about voicing her opinion and encouraging her sons to see which one was the best of all the Wahlbergs. Wahlburgers had a total of 10 seasons.
She did decide to step away from the light and take a more discrete role at one of her sons’ restaurants. In 2010, Paul Wahlberg opened Alma Nova in Hingham, Massachusetts; named after his mother, Alma Wahlberg. Before Wahlburgers, she made an appearance on Anderson Cooper Live and said, “My advice to my own children was…to be involved in everything they do.” She took definitely took her own advice.
Alma Wahlberg leaves behind her 9 children; Mark, Donnie, Paul, Robert, Jim Arthur, Tracey Michelle, and Debbie.