Ursula Rotondi will never forget her 85th birthday.

On a day that included twists and turns – and a tiny disappointment because her favorite restaurant was closed for winter vacation – the Warwick resident had a rather unique surprise in conjunction with her marvelous milestone.

Rotondi’s daughter, Sharon King, organized a “kids only and their spouses” dinner party that was held at the popular Governor Francis Inn on Warwick Avenue.

There would be the customary before-dinner-cocktails and family fun amid those special stories of yesteryear. And, of course, the dinner that turned out to be “delicious,” according to the guest of honor.

But sometime around 9 p.m. or so Saturday, several restaurant staffers led by manager Renee Saucier and hostess Ashlyn Gallucci walked out of the kitchen armed with a surprise birthday cake singing the “Happy Birthday” song in honor of Rotondi’s special day. And it seemed as though almost everyone inside the jam-packed main dining room joined in.

Once Saulcier placed the cake in front of Rotondi, she smiled – as did her family – while King remarked “that cake is beautiful; but where did it come from?”

For a while, it was a puzzle.

Did the cake, in fact, come from Gregg’s Restaurant in Warwick, where the seemingly ageless Rotondi worked before retiring a year ago after what she called “30 fantastic, fun-filled years”?

Needless to say, Rotondi – and her seven children – were, as King said later, “thrilled with the beautiful cake. It tasted as great as it looked. But where did it come from?”

After asking the hostesses questions, King finally found out – almost – who actually made the cake that featured a vanilla-white frosting with purple decorations and wording that read, “Happy 85th Birthday Ursula.”

The cake was made by Rhonda Boehm, who owns and operates a small yet thriving business called “Cakes by Rhonda” located on Gansett Avenue in Cranston near the Hugh B. Bain Junior High School.

The cake was delivered to Governor Francis Inn mid-Saturday afternoon, so staffers said, by a person who would only say “this is a birthday cake for Ursula Rotondi, who will be having dinner here tonight in honor of her 85th birthday. It’s from a family friend.”

King later related that “mom was thrilled and really surprised with the beautiful cake, but it’s kind of funny, in a way, because I’ve done business with Rhonda for other occasions.”

Rotondi has seven children, 14 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. She has lived in Warwick for 55-plus years.

She grew up on Atlantic Avenue and graduated from the former Aldrich High School. Her family moved away for a while but came back to Warwick in 1959, where she has lived ever since.