CHEERS TO 100 AMAZING YEARS
JOYCE Pearl Rossouw has a few secrets to a long and happy life – and one is wine.
Joyce will celebrate her 100th birthday on Saturday with family and friends at 501 Care Services, Coombabah.
The mother of two grew up in Brighton in the UK and has lived in several countries.
From the freedom of cycling 10 hours to London with her brothers as a young girl, Joyce has travelled to Europe, New Zealand, Singapore and St Helena Island, and explored much of South Africa while living there in the 1940s.
Joyce met her husband Daniel Rossouw on Brighton Pier in Sussex during World War II while he was stationed with the South African Army.
They fell in love, wed in 1945 and were married “happily enough” for 72 years.
Joyce migrated to New Zealand and became a citizen in the ’60s before returning to South Africa until 1987. She brought her family to Australia in 1989 and the Gold Coast in 1997. She worked as a seamstress in New Zealand and as a telephone repair technician in South Africa.
Joyce has two children, Gillian and Michael, three grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren.
She noted some of the biggest differences she had seen in her life included the household workload and the introduction of modern-day technologies.
“Housework is a lot easier compared to younger days and technology and household equipment these days are much better,” she said. “We take it for granted now.”
Gillian said her mother was a “fantastic lady”.
“I believe my mum has lived a remarkable life and whatever adversity she has had to face she has done so with amazing grace and poise,” she said. “She is one fantastic lady.” And what is Joyce’s secret to a long and fulfilling life?
“Live for each day, work hard and keep your job. Always keep clean, healthy and happy. And drink wine.”