Howick’s Edna Gibson was still a regular at her gym at the age of 97.
It inspired others there and even earned her life membership.
Edna May Gibson (nee Pelling) has just celebrated her 100th birthday. She was born on June 21, 1923 in Islington, London.
Edna married Sidney Charles Gibson in April 1947 in Ilford, London and they had three children, Janet (dec), Andrew and Ian.
The family emigrated to New Zealand in March 1960 on the British ocean liner SS Orsova.
In 1962, after spending two years in Taumarunui, the family moved to Auckland and settled in Moore Street, Howick, living there for 15 years before moving to Eastern Beach.
The family immersed themselves in all that Howick and the surrounding areas could offer a growing family.
Edna worked at the Post Office Telephone Exchange from 1962 -1973 and walked up from Moore Street to the exchange which was on Picton Street.
She then worked at Panasonic which was part of Fisher and Paykel until her retirement.
On her retirement she became a Probus Member of the Howick and Bucklands Beach Clubs.
Her retirement also saw Edna develop a love for the gym and would workout daily and eventually became a life member at the All Seasons Gym in Meadowlands.
She was often called an inspiration by her fellow gym-goers and was a regular member of their coffee outings.
She only stopped going to the gym when Covid struck New Zealand in 2020. She was 97 years old and had been driving herself to the gym from her apartment at the Bruce McLaren Retirement Village up to four times a week.
Edna still lives by herself in an independent apartment at the village.
She walks down to the daily lunches and still tries to make the Thursday happy hour at the village.
All her family and friends celebrated her birthday with an age difference from 100 years to six months and everything in between.
“What an amazing milestone,” granddaughter Susan High said.
