Second World War veteran Mavis Martin celebrated her 100th birthday on Sunday (June 7) in Qualicum Beach.
Martin’s actual birthday is Monday but her family decided to hold a day earlier with friends, family and neighbours.
READ MORE: Qualicum Beach businesses asked to help celebrate KSS graduates
“I never thought I’d live this long,” said Martin, who was given a motorcade in front of her residence where she sat watching cars and trucks go by, some bearing Happy Birthday signs and balloons.
Martin also received letters bearing warm birthday greetings from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and Canada’s Governor General, Julie Payette.
Martin joined the Royal Canadian Air Force at the age of 19 and worked as a wireless operator, having been stationed at various locations acrossed Canada until her discharge at the end of the Second World War. She married in 1949 and had five children and now has six grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. Her husband, Cecil Myers, lost his battle with cancer in 1974. In 1980 she retired to Parksville and later married Jim Martin in 1997 at the age of 77. Jim passed away two years later.
Martin has been a member of Legion Branch #49 since coming to the island and is one of the last survivors from WWII in this area. Dubbed “The Queen” by our own Flying Phil, she is loved by so many as the turn out at her 100th birthday celebration showed that.
Like Us