Mr Frank and Mrs Pat Lucas celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on February 11.
Their family created special memory boxes for the couple to celebrate six decades of their marriage.
Mrs Lucas lives in her own home at the Rand Aid Association-run Elphin Lodge retirement village while Frank lives in the River Lodge 2 wing of the Ron Smith Care Centre, situated in the same grounds.
The memory boxes were put together by family and friends and presented to the couple on their anniversary shortly before Valentine’s Day.
The boxes were filled with individual memories of Mr and Mrs Lucas. The long-married couple considers these “gifts of treasured memories” the best gifts that anyone could have given them.
Daughter-in-law Ms Margie Lucas and her son Michael organised the memory boxes, and the family agreed to share a few of the memories contained in the box.
“Of course I remember countless afternoon sorties to Gran and Pops. Popping in to sample pavlova and sausage rolls. Being allowed to watch TV and playing cricket with Pops when he came home from work,” said Stephen.
“I remember ice creams at the zoo with Jem, Nick and Mike and lying on our backs looking for pictures in the clouds while Gran and Pops sat on a bench nearby,” said Shelly.
“I remember the smell of sawdust and all the incredible creations that came out of Pop’s garage. My Wendy house was so well kitted out. It even had a wooden washing machine that Pops made for me. I was the luckiest little girl,” said Sarah.
“I remember being convinced that Pops was fast asleep in his chair only to have him sharply comment on my conversation with a witty comment,” said Josie.
Mr and Mrs Lucas were very involved with the Anglican church and met at a church function when she was about 16 and he was 20. They were married at St Mary’s Church in Rosettenville in 1956 and have four children, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. All four generations are still in Johannesburg and were present at the celebration.
“We built a house in Bedfordview and grew wonderful fruit, nuts and vegetables that kept us healthy and well fed. I became a director of Reunert & Lenz, supplying the railways with wheels, axles and gears,” said Mr Lucas.
They were very prominent in their community, with Mr Lucas joining the village council in Bedfordview and serving as mayor. He even had a road named after him, ‘Lucas Lane’, and started the local Rover Boy Scouts, as well as a local Toastmasters club. “I was instrumental in building the scout hall and also helped build the beautiful stone church in Bedfordview, St Margaret’s,” said Mr Lucas.
The couple remembered a very special family camping trip that took them across England, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and Holland. “What a wonderful time we had, swimming in the Mediterranean and seeing all the amazing sights of each country” they said.
