Tons to love about birthday boy Arthur’s feat

ARTHUR Hensby gets a double dose of love on his birthday, after arriving in the world on Valentine’s Day 100 years ago.

The Mercy Place Woree resident celebrated his 100th birthday this week on February 14 with a special cake, balloons and messages.

Born on February 14, 1917, in Yorkshire, England, he spent his childhood and teenage years in Stanley near Wakefield.

“He remembers having to ride his bike 20 miles (32km) each way when courting his sweetheart and now wife, Kathleen,” said Mercy Place Woree service manager Jonathan Hay.

The couple married in 1944 and had five children – one boy and four girls.

“He moved his family to Tasmania in 1963 and had various jobs, like working in a ma- chinery factory, door-to-door salesman and also worked in shops repairing electrical equipment,’’ Mr Hay said.

“The last 11 years of Arthur’s working life, he spent at Cadburys in Tasmania as a clerk in the accounting office and retired in 1980.”

After retiring, he and Kath moved to Cairns, living initially in Toogood Rd before building a new home in 1997 and finally moving to Whitfield, where Kath still lives.

“Family and friends describe Arthur as a gentle man,” Mr Hay said.