THE atmosphere was jovial as uMhlanga resident, Steve Young, celebrated his 107th birthday yesterday at the Twilanga Retirement Village and Care Centre with family and friends. The Northlands Women’s Choir hosted a concert to celebrate the occasion.
The not-so-young Steve has lived an interesting life. He was born in England in 1908 and aspired to become a journalist. Soon his dream became a reality when he was hired by Reuters, a company founded by his grandfather, Emil Wolf and Baron Reuters.
At the age of 19 Steve was sent to India, where he had the exceptional opportunity to interview Gandhi.
Nearly eight years later Young, who was enlisted as a soldier in World War II, was captured at Tobruk as a prisoner of war. He was forced to work in a coal mine for four years in Czechoslovakia.
When the war ended in 1945 he was repatriated to London, where he met his future wife, Judy. They married a year later after Young moved to South Africa. “He wrote to me and asked me to marry him. I agreed and had to travel on a troop ship carrying 2 000 passengers to meet him,” she said.
Throughout the 68-year marriage the couple have traveled and lived all over South Africa. They have two children, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Grandson, Cameron McDonald, told the Northglen News that his granddad has always been his role model. “As a kid I had a list rating all my favourite family members. My granddad has always been at the top of the list. He is a true gentleman who demanded the utmost respect. There is no one more honourable and kind,” he said.
According to Judy (92), her husband’s longevity can be attributed to his desire for a simple life – as well as good genes and his nightly ritual of enjoying a single glass of whiskey.
