Grand old lady
At age 99, Edith Erickson was the oldest person in attendance at the Rotary Pioneers Reception, an annual Penticton tradition since 1946. See story and photo on
Ray and Win Findlay said the secret to a long and successful marriage is to love and respect one another.
With 73 years of marriage and a combined age of 184, they were the oldest couple in attendance at the Rotary Club of Penticton’s Pioneers Reception, an annual tradition since 1946.
Ray was born in Kaleden in his grandfather’s house and Win in Forest, Ont., a rural community near London. A Second World War veteran, his war years prepared him for a career as a driver and mechanic, and he worked for Canada Safeway Ltd. and Okanagan Valley Freight Lines.
Win was a homemaker and raised five children. She moved to B.C. during the war years to be with her parents.
The couple lived in Penticton from 1946 until 1963, and again when Ray retired in 1983 until now. There’s no place they’d rather be than Penticton, they declare.
“It’s between two lakes and it’s just the right size,” said Win.
“We’re both still driving and we recently sat at Okanagan Lake in our car, looking at the lake, and thought, this is the most awesome place,” Ray echoed.
In addition to five children, the Findlays have 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. They now make their home at Athens Creek Lodge, where they enjoy cribbage, bocce and bean bag baseball.
Win has had not one, but two, 29 hands in cribbage. Ray is a hockey fan and proudly recalls being in attendance at Memorial Arena when the Vees won the Allan Cup.
The only thing Win never completed on her bucket list was learning to swim, something she finds ironic living between two lakes.
“It’s been an awesome life having a wife who loved me and our children who love us and really take care of us well and keep such a close eye on us,” said Ray.
The couple attends the Rotary reception “every year” and love the event because it gives them the opportunity to visit with old friends who they often see only once a year.
Edith Erickson, at 99, was the oldest female in attendance in what was only the second time she’s attended the reception. She’s lived in Penticton since 1942, when she came here from Toronto as a nurse to work in the surgical department. She has many fond memories of her colleagues, especially the doctors.
Her family later became orchardists right on Skaha Lake, something she describes as “a real privilege.”
Now living at The Concord, she never really thought about what it would be like to be living at 99. She has great genes, as her older sister is now 102.
Her secret to a good life is “working hard, especially when you’re younger.”
She and her husband, Fred, were married for 35 years and together they raised four children, eight grandchildren (“I’ve looked after them all”) and four great-grandchildren. Her date for the Pioneers Reception was her son, Arnie. She too loves Penticton. “I like the climate and the fact it’s a small city,” she said.
“It was smaller in the early days, the perfect size, I thought. We have good schools, a good hospital and all the things that we need to keep healthy.”