Longtime Kilmore resident Fay Boyd Coff celebrated her 100th birthday in November last year at Caladenia with family, friends, and staff.
She passed from this life a fortnight ago and is remembered by daughter Marlene and son Andrew as a much-loved person who lived a full life of dedication to her husband Basil and her family.
At her mother’s ‘century’ celebration Marlene spoke of her mum’s life with great admiration.
Born October 4, 1922, she grew up on a farm in Oxley. Marlene described her as ‘a horse whisperer’ in her young age.
Ms Coff later moved to Melbourne where she worked for an American colonel at the Army barracks in St Kilda, and later at David Jones in accounting.
Ms Coff married and moved to Kilmore after living in Lilydale, when she and her husband purchased the green grocer and newsagency mixed business 70 years ago.
Marlene spoke in high regard of her parents, who worked hard to raise their children.
“Dad worked a permanent afternoon shift, he was an engineer at the Ford factory,” she said.
“Mum did the shop and paper round and all that sort of stuff until they sold it and they bought a house in … Powlett Street, Kilmore.
“[We] looked after dad at home. He was lucky enough to die at home in his own bed, and we were hoping that for mum, but the staff up here have been really wonderful so I’m very happy about that.”
Along her life’s journey Fay knew the sunshine and shadows of life but she was always resilient.
While family members attended Assumption College Kilmore, she always a keen and active participant in the life and times of the college.
Sympathy is extended to Marlene and Andrew and family members in Australia and the United Kingdom.
- Supplied by Ray Carroll.
