Centenarian Credits Long Life to Loving Wife
Ronald Sutherland, fondly known as Ronnie, celebrated his 100th birthday this week at Jesmond Care Home in Aberdeen surrounded by family and his beloved wife Eleanor, who he believes is the key to his long and happy life.
Born in Aberdeen on 17 September 1924, Ronnie has lived a long and fulfilling life in the Granite City, defined by his dedication to family, work, travel, and his passion for fishing.
Ronnie’s career started as an engineer for William Wilson’s in Kittybrewster, before moving to Fife for a short while to work in the mines. He returned to his hometown of Aberdeen in the 1940’s and got a job at with J&J Crombie at the Grandholm Mill, based on the banks of the River Don, which became the largest and most famous mill in the UK.
It was here he met his beloved wife Eleanor. It was love at first sight and they moved in together in November 1966. They welcomed their son Ronald shortly after in 1968 and celebrated 22 years together in 1988 by finally getting married. Ronnie and Eleanor became proud grandparents with the arrival of Lewis, now 23 years old, and Miles, 21 years old. Sadly, Ronnie’s daughter from his first marriage, Ruthie, passed away in 2023 aged just 69 years old.
Ronnie and Eleanor spent many happy years living in Bridge of Don where Ronnie discovered his second true love – fishing!
Ronnie used to always joke ‘happy wife, happy life’ but his doctor recently commented that my love and care for him for the past 60 years is likely the secret to him reaching 100. So there must be some truth to that saying after all!
Eleanor, Ronnies Wife
Eleanor, aged 83, said: “Ronnie used to always joke ‘happy wife, happy life’ but his doctor recently commented that my love and care for him for the past 60 years is likely the secret to him reaching 100. So there must be some truth to that saying after all!”
She continued while Ronnie smiled on: “Second only to his love for his family, Ronnie’s true passion is fishing. He spent hours upon hours fishing on the River Don, something he enjoyed for nearly 25 years. He even made his very own fishing lure named the ‘Sutherland Special’, which was his pride and joy, and his secret weapon for catching the best fish.”
In previous years, Ronnie has spent many birthdays abroad, often visiting family. For his 84th birthday, Ronnie celebrated in Bermuda while visiting his nephew who worked as a teacher there. With no signs of slowing down, he celebrated his 92nd birthday in Canada with Eleanor, visiting her sister.
Having moved into Jesmond Care Home in February 2023, it was here Ronnie celebrated 100 years surrounded by his loving family and fellow residents. Ronnie was treated to a birthday buffet and a special birthday cake, while entertainment was provided by popular local singer and musician Jack Mcpherson.
Jade McGowan, Wellbeing Lead at Renaissance Care, said: “While we try to make every day special for our residents, it’s truly an honour to celebrate a milestone as significant as 100 years. I have no doubt that Eleanor is the reason for Ronnie’s long and happy life, she visits most days and his face lights up every time he sees her.”
Jesmond Care Home is part of Renaissance Care Group which operates 17 homes across Scotland. The private care homes vary in size and style, ranging from small boutique-style residential care homes with 20 rooms to larger purpose-built care homes for assisted living offering specialist nursing and dementia care.
To find out more about Jesmond Care Home please visit: https://www.renaissance-care.co.uk/jesmond-care-home
