Mr Raven (100) shares his secret to longevity

Happy 100th birthday to Mr Albert Raven, who happily resides at Resthaven Marion, his home for the past 12 months.

Born in Adelaide on 29 November 1923, Mr Raven reflects fondly on his first home in Oxford Street, Hyde Park.

‘I had seven brothers and sisters, and my father had a bike shop close to home when I was very young,’ says Mr Raven.

‘We had a large home, with an even bigger backyard. It was as good a childhood as you could get.’

Although, it wasn’t until Mr Raven’s early 20s when his life ‘truly began’.

He says, ‘Ailleen was a local girl, but we didn’t come across one another until later in our lives. Once we did, that was that.’

‘Our families integrated seamlessly. Her father was a shoe repairman by trade, and so my father fell into the business with him, and they ran a shop together for quite some time.’

On 5 June 19, 1947, the young couple married at St Augustus Church in Unley.

‘We settled down a little way out of the city, in Warradale, and we had a son together. He was born a paraplegic, and the doctors didn’t give him long to live—they gave him until 10 years old. Well, we raised him with love and care, and he passed at 65-years-old.’

After the death of his wife, and then son, Mr Raven made the decision to say goodbye to their Warradale home and reside at Resthaven Marion.

‘It has been pretty good here. They look after me well.’

Now, Mr Raven enjoys social activities with his fellow residents at the home, keeping up with site happenings, and relaxing in his chair by the window.

Reflecting on his longevity, Mr Raven shares, ‘I didn’t think much about health in my younger years admittedly, until I had a stroke at the age of 30. After that, I stopped drinking and smoking all together.’

His advice to the younger generations is: ‘Keep your health in check! You only get one body, so look after it as best you can.’

Many happy returns, Mr Raven.