He greatly appreciates the time he spends with his family, especially considering that he spent so much time away from them when they were young. Ron, originally from Manchester England was a mechanical engineer and his job took him all over Europe, India and South East Asia
“I travelled a lot for work back then,” Ron recalls. “Sometimes, I’d be gone for weeks at a time.” Despite the time apart, his dedication to his family has never wavered and their relationship remains strong.
Ron’s career in research and development gave him a unique opportunity to transfer from Sussex, UK in 1971, to the Australian branch of the company in Sydney with his wife and three sons. Another work transfer took the family to Melbourne, which became their permanent home. But even before the move, adventure had always been part of Ron’s life.
He fondly remembers the days when the family would camp together in the UK. “I bought a transit van and converted it into a camper. We took it all over England and had a few trips in it to France and Spain,” Ron reminisces. When they settled in Australia, they continued the tradition, exploring places like Mount Buffalo and Lake Catani, where fishing for spotted trout in the streams became a family favourite.
For two years, Ron lived in India where he took up one of his favourite past times – golf. Although he no longer goes camping and had to give away his golf, Ron still enjoys occasionally accompanying his son, watching him practice at the driving range.
These days, Ron finds joy in the quieter moments, particularly enjoying reading. His neighbour, whom he affectionately calls his “personal librarian,” drops by regularly with a fresh stack of books.
Ron appreciates that the visits he receives from all his Prestige carers, who support him to stay in the special place that he has made his home. One of his carers, Nadine shared, “For Ronald and myself, it’s about the music he loves – not just listening but singing to his favourite artists and songs. We started playing music he liked on Spotify and he was quite amazed that you could access all this music. Now it has become a ritual singing them together. He enjoys Andrea Bocelli, Frank Sinatra and John Denver. We have a great time singing together ‘Country road, take me home’ and we think we are hilarious when we try yodeling together.”
Ron is very grateful to still be living in his own home at Safety Beach. He likes that his grown up children can visit as often as they please and, regular drop-ins from his friends, and he enjoys his neighbours who have become good friends. His hope is to remain in his home with the support of Prestige, surrounded by the memories and relationships he holds dear, for as long as he can.