83 new community cases of Covid-19 were reported today, bringing the total number of cases in the community to 511. Video / NZ Herald
Centenarian Dennis Gillard's secret to his longevity is to keep your mind and body active and ensure you "keep breathing".
Today the Radius Matua resident turns 100 but due to the Covid-19 restrictions, a planned high tea party with a jazz quartet and 80 people attending at Bethlehem Shores Clubhouse on Sunday had to be postponed.
Eldest daughter Christine Driscoll, 62, said it was unfortunate but her father and the caterers were "very pragmatic" about it. It's hoped they can celebrate in November.
Gillard, who was born in Essex, United Kingdom, was 2 when his parents Henry and Florence, and two older siblings moved to New Zealand for a better life.
Henry Gillard, who died at aged 97, was a plasterer and his work can be found on the ceiling of Auckland's Civic Theatre.
Dennis Gillard's late older brother Harry, known as Sonny, died aged 96. His older sister Barbara was aged 100 years and four months when she died in Auckland in 2019.
Gillard still cooks his own meals, takes a walk most days, bowls up to three afternoons a week at the Matua Bowling Club and still drives, his daughter said
Dennis Gillard and his late wife Joy, who first met at the Orange Ballroom in Auckland had been married for 61 years when she died on May 4, 2019 age 89.
The couple raised four other children together - Christine, Michael and twins Jenny and Pauline. Gillard is also the much-loved poppa of Tracy and Jason.
Driscoll said her father's first job after leaving school was washing parts at Sir Dove-Myer Robinson's motorbike workshop in Auckland — aged only 13.
"Dad then got an apprenticeship with a sheet metal company opposite the Farmer's Trading Company and worked for the company for several years," she said.
During World War II, after being called up at aged 19, Gillard served in the Pacific Theatre of War in Qatar Canal for about 18 months.
"Dad always wanted to be a pilot but he ended up as a member of the Royal New Zealand Airforce maintenance ground crew because he was colour-blind," Driscoll said.
In the mid-1950s, Gillard began working for Fisher & Paykel as part of the design team for washing machines and refrigerators, including the famous Gentle Annie.
"Dad spent over 25 years working for Sir Woolf Fisher and to mark the occasion, he received a very nice gift and Woolf Fisher gave mum a set of pearls," she said.
Gillard also ran his own little sheet metal work business and gained a couple of patents for some parts he designed and made.
One patent was for an elbow shaped tube called the 'Bends' which was a part used in one of the older style air conditioning units, she said.
Gillard also did a lot of work for Champion Spark Plugs for many years.
Driscoll said her father then owned and ran a sheet metal work business with son Michael which they operated for about five years before he retired at age 60.
Her parents retired to Tauranga about 20 years ago, she said.
"Dad has always been very devoted to his family and he worked very hard over the many years to provide a decent standard of living for us all," she said.
Her father was a "very practicable" man and had such a positive outlook on life and likes to keep his mind and body active.
"Dad does some exercise every day, either going for a walk most days, bowling sometimes two or three times a week, and he's always very careful with his diet."
Driscoll said her father was a keen sailor, fisherman, and deep-sea diver, and for many years as a family, they had sailed all around the Hauraki Gulf.
"He is also a man of faith and someone with a great sense of community. He's got great genes ... He's also got a great sense of humour and has gotten away with lots of things because of it.
"If you asked Dad what the secret is to living a long life, he always says - keep breathing."
