DOROTHY Jones will celebrate her 100th birthday on Friday 23 May, at Coffs Harbour’s Legacy Nursing Home.
Daughter-in-law Irene Jones is cooking the birthday girl’s favourite carrot cake and there will be cuppas galore.
“I don’t really want any fuss, but I have to admit, turning 100 is special,” Dorothy said.
Dorothy was born in Leamington Spa, England on 23 May, 1925.
An only child living a happy childhood, she went to school in Beecham Hall, now known as Kingsley School.
She enjoyed swimming in the local indoor baths, all year round, and playing the piano – finding a particular love for classical music.
After leaving school, Dorothy worked in Lloyds Bank from Monday to Saturday and volunteered at a hospital on Sundays as a nurse, also accompanying patients in the ambulance.
Although these seem like full time jobs, she told News Of The Area, “there was still time for dancing”.
In 1948 Dorothy married Llewellyn Jones and together they raised four children.
When the youngest was aged around four they travelled to Australia, settling in NSW.
At one point they ran a general store on Waterfall Way.
This was a seven days a week job and didn’t allow a lot of time for Dorothy’s other interests.
When the business was sold, she built a nursery, even supplying plants to Sydney.
“I made some wonderful friends in Dorrigo,” she said.
After the death of husband Llew, she sold-up and moved to Coffs.
Dorothy has always kept abreast of not only local and national news, but also international events.
She embraced new technologies and learnt how to navigate the internet and all the programs it had to offer.
She created children’s e-books for her grandchildren and created and maintained a webpage for the University of the Third Age (U3A) in Coffs Harbour.
“I held the position of Vice President for a while,” she said..
Circumstances change and after Dorothy had a fall, she began to lose her sight.
She had always loved reading, and when that was no longer possible, she started listening to audio books.
Living in Legacy Nursing Home, she says she is very well cared for by the “wonderful staff”.
By Andrea FERRARI
