As Harry looks back on his life of 97 years, he has a lot to be thankful for. “I’ve been very fortunate. I haven’t had many problems with my health. If you’d told me at 30 that I’d reach this age, I wouldn’t have believed it. But I’m still here, feeling pretty good.”
One of the defining moments of Harry’s life was meeting his wife, Jean. “Jean was the best thing that ever happened to me,” he recalls fondly. Sadly, Jean passed away last year at the golden age of 101, but they shared many wonderful years together. “She was much more energetic than me. I was a little lazy,” Harry admits with a chuckle.
Their love story was unconventional. “Jean was married when we first met. We worked at the same place, and later, we crossed paths again in a bowling league. Her first husband was tragically killed in a work accident. It was pretty devastating for her.”
“I slowly got to know Jean a bit better and over time, we fell in love.” Jean had three children, and Harry embraced them as his own. “We didn’t have any children together, but I was fine with that. As far as I was concerned, they were my children.”
Jean loved to travel, and the couple took many trips, starting with their honeymoon in Cairns, a place they loved so much they decided to make it their home. “We moved to Cairns after a few holidays there. We both loved it. I don’t like the cold, so the climate suited me perfectly.”
They did however enjoy a trip to the Snowy Mountains. “On the drive up to Mount Kosciuszko we ran into a snowstorm. It was the first time I saw snow. We didn’t have car chains, so we got a lift up and had a great weekend.”
Their first trip abroad was to New Zealand. “We booked a tour and our neighbours joined us. We went a week early to spend time with my brother and his family, who lived in Christchurch, and had a great time.”
Harry reflects on his life with satisfaction. “I think I’ve had a pretty good life. My advice? Watch your weight. I put on a bit in my 20s, but when I lost it, I felt and looked much better. I’ve tried to stay healthy ever since.”
