Fay Celebrates a Special Milestone

“I joined in everything that I could and I still do,” she says. “If you don’t join in you are missing out on so much.”

Even at 100, Fay is always in the thick of things at UCWPA Wesley House Aged Care – from bowling to bingo, quizzes to knitting, and church on Sundays.

Not bad for someone who was always considered sickly as a child.

She even missed out on a special maypole dance in primary school when the Duke and Duchess of York visited because her teachers deemed her “not strong enough”.

Fay was born in Wallaroo Mines on June 13, 1916, in a house on Lipson Rd – a point she is reminded of daily by the sign down the hall that reads ‘Lipson Wing’.

The happy coincidence makes her smile, as she feels like she has come full circle.

Part way through primary school the mines closed and her family moved to Adelaide, before returning to Kadina for Fay’s final two years of schooling.

She later returned to Adelaide to live and work in the home of a school teacher and during this time met husband-to-be, Lionel, at Alberton Uniting Church.

Two years later the pair married and moved to Pennington, where they lovingly raised two children, David and Judith.

Over the years two grandchildren and a great-grandchild completed the clan.

Fay says “life is good” but it has its tough times.

The deaths of Lionel, and later David – both to cancer – were particular hard, but she has learned to find happiness through the struggle.

“You have to accept what comes and make the best of things. It’s not always going to be a bed of roses but you must enjoy life.”

Fay celebrated her birthday with a special lunch at the Bartley Tavern with family and friends.

Click here to find out more about UCWPA's aged care services.