After chatting with friends about those close to us who have died I thought it was time to mention my maternal Grandparents Thomas Arthur & Florence Joyce Anderson, Tom & Flo to their many friends.
They were married almost 60 years and I don't recall them having a seriously cross word with each other, they would bicker often but in that way you do when you have loved someone for so long. I used to stay with them on school holidays and every morning I would climb into bed with Nan and Pop would bring us in a hot drink before breakfast. Always hot chocolate for me and hot tea for Nan with a glass of hot water and a squeeze of lemon in. He would pull back their curtains so we could see out of the window into their garden...Nan adored her garden, after we got up we would often walk around it so she could point out the new overnight happenings in it.
After Pop retired they moved interstate to a warmer climate...they were quite some way away but stayed in touch regularly. Their 50th wedding anniversary was quite an occasion...about 40 friends and family gathered to celebrate, they were so happy and obviously very much in love still...we used to joke that they were joined at the hip. They loved their lifestyle, played bowls seven days a week between them and usually lived within sight of the Pacific Ocean, they loved the beach and until ill health prevented used to walk on it most days hand in hand.
As they aged ill health plagued them and our family were very concerned as to how Nan would manage if Pop died first...she had an aortic aneurysm and had become quite dependent on Pop for just about everything. She didn't drive and refused to use a scooter to get around, she really dropped her bundle, it kind of suited her to be dependent. We were very worried about who would care for her if Pop died first.
In May 1996, we received the call than Nan had died, her aneurysm had ruptured, she had lapsed into unconsciousness and died peacefully. It was incredibly sad however there was some comfort in that she had been the one to go first.
As family were preparing to leave for the airport to fly interstate to support Pop there was an early morning call from a neighbour, Pop hadn't felt at all well overnight and am ambulance had been called in the early hours of the morning. He was in hospital on life support. Family were able to go straight to the hospital from the airport to say their goodbyes and arrange to turn off his life support. Astonishingly, he too had an aortic aneurysm that had ruptured...the doctors made all kinds of excuses and noises about how the stress of Nan dying would have pushed his blood pressure up and caused it to rupture. I like to take a more romantic perspective and think that he could not live without his beloved "Darl".
They were cremated and had their ashes scattered together...always together...RIP.
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