Six decades of give and take

The ability to give and take is the secret to 60 years of marriage for Cairns couple Kathy and Geoff Reynolds.

Mrs Reynold’s sister Lyndall Williams said the couple loved being active with family and friends, and travelling.

In the early years of their marriage, the pair clocked up some miles across Queensland as Geoff’s career with Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) demanded.

But Ms Williams said in latter years, travel had been about leisure for the lively pair who celebrated on Saturday with family and friends and their Bentley Park home.

“Kathy said to me, we’ve made it to 60 and they said we’d never do it,’” she said.

Both were born in Charters Towers and attended the same school before marrying in 1963.

They had two children, Brad and Sue, while Geoff was working as a motor mechanic as well as volunteering at night and weekends for the

Towers Ambulance.

In 1967 Kathy was working in administration at the local supermarket when Geoff was offered a position with QAS in Roma, Ms Williams said.

“Both of them were still so young with two small children and this was the beginning of

Charters an exciting adventure with Queensland Ambulance Service,” Ms Williams said.

“In the smaller centres they were a great partnership with Kathy as the assistant having to man the stations in Geoff’s absence as well as administration and fund raising – Kathy also drove a school bus and assisted as a teacher aide at the school.”

The family relocated to Injune in 1976 where Geoff became the youngest superintendent at QAS, she said.

This was followed by a posting to Biggenden in 1978, then Yeppoon in 1981 where they spent many years until Geoff’s promotion to Cairns as QAS district commissioner.

The couple retired to Bramston Beach in 1997 for a relaxed lifestyle but Geoff became restless and worked as a disaster relief co-ordinator for Cairns Regional Council for a short time.

The community-minded couple has been strong supporters of the Lions Club.

They help organise QAS reunions throughout Queensland, travelling in their caravan, as well as spending time with their two children, three grand children and two great children.