Vic, Vic hooray
Centenarian celebrates with his family and friends
Paisley’ s latest centenarian celebrated his milestone birthday with a surprise garden party yesterday.
Ex- Royal Navy man Vic Coombes enjoyed celebrating his 100th birthday with his friends and family who visited the garden of his Paisley home.
Vic was born in Sussex and joined the Royal Navy in 1939 aged 18. He served in Malta during the Second World War and received serious injuries to his arms, legs and face while off duty during the Siege of Malta.
He met his wife Queenie, who was from Paisley, after the war when they were both on holiday near Loch Eck in the Cowal Peninsula.
He moved to Paisley to be with Queenie and the couple were married in 1949.
Vic worked as a plumber then as a sanitary inspector for local authorities in Glasgow and Paisley.
Sadly, Queenie died in 2002 but Vic found love again with Helen, who he married in 2004.
His nephew, Gordon McQuarrie, said: “Vic has several loving children and grandchildren through his marriage to Helen.
“She sadly passed away a few years ago and Vic now lives on his own.
“He looks after himself, tends to his own garden and enjoys an occasional wee brandy.
“He’s a member of Oakshaw Trinity Church in Paisley and enjoys listening to music, particularly classical and opera.
“Before it stopped, Vic proudly marched in the annual Armed Forces Day parade in Glasgow and he’s a keen member and supporter of the Royal Naval Association.
“He’s very independent and said he’s very pleased to have made it to 100.”
Vi c e n j oyed hav i n g friends from the Royal Navy, neighbours and his church over the course of his birthday.
He’s planning a family gettogether at the weekend to celebrate his birthday.
Gordon said: “Not everyone was there at the same time.
“He didn’t know about people coming to the garden, we kept that a surprise for him.
“He just thought people were coming to the house, but there wouldn’t have been many with the restrictions.
“It was all a surprise for him. “We also organised a card from the Queen to celebrate.”
He’s very independent and said he’s very pleased to have made it to 100