Couple celebrates 50 years of marriage

AS Neil and Pamela McDonald celebrate their golden wedding anniversary today (October 11), they reminisce about their special day and life.

Neil, the CEO of Khanya Hospice, and his wife, Pamela, tied the knot 50 years ago at the Pinkster Protestante Kerk in Benoni, surrounded by 1 000 friends, family and congregants. Their wedding reception was held at the Brakpan Town Hall, and they spent their honeymoon touring the eastern and northern Transvaal.

As the church’s organist for six years, Neil had to enlist a friend to play for his own wedding. The couple also surprised their guests by singing Darling the Day Has Come as a duet during their vows.

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“Since then, we have been singing together all our life. We are still the praise and worship leaders in our church, and I have been playing piano and organ for church services for about 62 years now,” said Neil.

The couple’s eldest child, Neil, was born in 1976 while they were still in Benoni. They then moved to Warner Beach in 1980 where Neil got a job at the Hulett Sugar refinery. Two years later, they welcomed their second child, Peter-John, before their daughter, Colleen, was born in 1985.

The couple then moved to Pinetown where they raised their children and spent most of their married life, before moving to Hillcrest 10 years ago.

Pamela retired at the end of last year after working for a medical specialist for 36 years at Parklands Hospital while Neil will be retiring from Khanya Hospice at the end of November.

The couple plan to move to Johannesburg to be closer to their son, Peter-John, and his daughters.

“Our other two children and their families moved to Australia a few years ago. Now, we will have lots of time to go and visit as we are missing our grandchildren,” he said.