ALEXANDRA Hills woman Wendy Damyon reckons her father still has a few birthdays left, such was his spark at his 103rd birthday.
Bill Cann had a double celebration of his birthday on January 16, first with staff and friends at Sylvan Woods Aged Care Facility at Birkdale on the day and then at Wendy’s house with family on January 21.
Describing her father as a “gentle soul”, Ms Damyon put his longevity to hard work, red meat and a daily nip of whisky.
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A former butcher, Mr Cann gave up the trade at age 70, swapping cutting meat for cutting gemstones.
The quest for the stones took him all around the country and he was well known for a market stall at Cleveland which he ran to sell the stones for about 10 years.
Mr Cann has five children, 13 grand chidlren and six grand children, most of whom joined him for his family celebration.
Ms Damyon said her father used to sit with her mother Shirley at Sylvan Woods every day and then, at age 99, the staff suggested he move in too. Mrs Cann died in August 2017, aged 92.
“His health has always been good although his hip and knee are gone,” Ms Damyon said.
Ms Damyon said her oldest sister, Chris Copper, drove up from near Lismore, NSW, together with one of her grandaughters to help celebrate her father’s birthday.
