‘One Day at a Time’, Ron reflects on 100 years of living
Planes, preservation, faith, and a good wife are some of the keys to living a good, long life according to Kilpatrick Court resident Ron Hansard.
Celebrating his 100th birthday on the eve of the King’s Birthday long weekend this year, Ron was feeling reflective.
The former RAAF mechanic and Baptist pastor says he was preparing to be asked by family and friends what he thought were the secrets to living beyond a century.
His own significant occasion would be spent celebrating with family.
In the lead up to his 100th birthday celebrations, Ron had enjoyed a visit by local MP Greg Piper.
The independent State Member for Lake Macquarie spent time at Ron’s Toronto homebase appreciating a unique parliamentary connection within his family tree.
“Interestingly, Ron is a descendant of Thomas Curson Hansard, who was the first official printer to the Parliament of Westminster,” wrote Mr Piper in a social media post.
“Hansard is still the term we use today to refer to transcripts of what is said in the Chambers of the Parliament of NSW.”
After a surprise parliamentary birthday certificate, Ron put pen to paper to record his reflections.
“I was born on the 7 June 1925 and grew up in Aeolus Avenue in Ryde New South Wales,” he says.
“I remember as a young child watching out my back window of our house the two spans of the Sydney Harbour Bridge coming together, and I was also there for the opening of the bridge in March of 1932.
“I also have a vivid memory of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith flying over in the Southern Cross – a plane more commonly known as ‘The Old Bus’, to land on the grass paddock at Mascot named Sir Charles Kingsford – Smith Aerodrome.”
Aeroplanes had always been a passion of Ron’s.
“In July of 1943 I entered the RAAF working as a flight mechanic, then a fitter 2E, [before] I was discharged in May of 1946,” he reflects.
Overall, Ron likes to describe his life as ‘preserved’.
“I had many – let’s call them ‘moments’ – in my life that make me describe my life as preserved.
“I call it preserved because on six occasions I could have lost my life.”
From the forces to theology
“In 1954 I entered the Baptist Theological College [Sydney] and completed a four-year course and graduated in 1957,” Ron says.
But it was his beloved wife Margaret that always brought him the most joy.
“I married the love of my life Margaret in 1958, and we had four wonderful children together,” Ron says.
“Three sons and one daughter.
“Margaret’s loving, kind, caring nature helped me through a lot in my pastorates.
“Our church was pioneering, or near pioneering, at Coffs Harbor, Toongabbie, Avalon Beach, and Campbelltown.
“In August 1990 I suffered a heart attack and in December had a quadruple bypass.
“We retired to Brisbane where we had only been in residence for six weeks after Brisbane City Baptist Tabernacle asked us to help out in an assistance role.
“It lasted five years then we returned to move into a villa in Arcadia Vale in 1996, to an Anglican Care self-care unit in Carey Bay in 2013, to where I am now living at Kilpatrick Court.
“We moved here on the 14th of July 2022.”
After much reflection and a personal tribute to a wife he describes as a blessing, Ron says the secret to a long life is quite simple.
“Margaret passed away on 25 February 2025 and I miss her so dearly.
“They ask what my secret to a long life is and I have to say it is simple: to live life one day at a time.”
Happy 100th birthday Ron from all of us at Anglican Care.
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