During his time in Northland he would do about five to 10 surgeries per week - including one on his son Bruce
"I was out pheasant shooting on a farm at Matapouri and my friend shot me in the eye. I'd organised it with dad to come in and so he took me into surgery and dripped local anaesthetic on the eye and removed the bullet," Bruce said.
Bob is a man of few words. His father was a sheep farmer who hoped Bob would follow in his footsteps.
"My father wanted me to be a farmer but I didn't respond very well I'm afraid," he said.
Bob said his dad let him study agriculture at university but Bob made friends with people who were going to study medicine and he decided to follow.
After completing his studies in Otago and Auckland and spending a year as a house surgeon in Waikato and Rotorua, Bob became a Flight Lieutenant medical officer with the Royal New Zealand Air Force based in Fiji. It was here he met his future wife Jean who was a volunteer nurse.
The pair married in 1946 and had four children together - one son died in a road accident in 1970. Jean died in 2009 aged 90.
Bob spent 29 years working as assistant superintendent and full-time surgeon at Whangarei Hospital before retiring in 1979.
After that he spent about four years growing kiwifruit with Bruce.
"Working out of doors, doing things in my own time was nice."
Bob has 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
When asked if they were good kids Bob said: "They're not bad. None of them have been to jail as far as I know."
The secret to such a long life?
"Diet is important," Bob said.
"And a bit of home brew, aye dad," Bruce said.
