This week Mavis Sherwood will celebrate a very special milestone when she turns 100-years old.
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Mavis Irene Paradise was born in Brisbane on September 11, 1917.
She and her brother Jack were raised by their parents Ida and George Paradise in Indooroopilly, a western suburb of Brisbane.
Mavis went to work as a typist in a legal firm, while Jack joined the Air force and was attached to the RAF.
Sadly, Jack lost his life when his Lancaster bomber was shot down in 1943 over Germany during WWII.
In 1946 Mavis was married in Sydney to solicitor Allan Moore and the following year she gave birth to a daughter Katherine Elizabeth Foye, affectionately known as Libby.
However, the couple were to divorce in 1952.
Mavis then married Frederick Loder Sherwood, whom she called Lo and he fondly called her MIP (short for Mavis Irene Paradise).
They purchased land at 7 Shirley Street, Carlingford in Sydney and lived in their garage while their home was being built.
In 1955 Mavis gave birth to John Sherwood.
“Mum was mostly a stay at home mum but sometimes helped my father in his electrical appliance repair business in Granville,” Mr Sherwood said.
“She is an accomplished pianist and taught this to a number of students including both Libby and myself.
“Most school holidays were spent doing road trips from Carlingford to Indooroopilly to visit and stay with my grandparents.”
Libby attended Macarthur Girl's High (1961 to 1965) and left home in 1966 to study at Wollongong Teachers' College.
From 1967 to 1972 John attended James Ruse Agricultural High in Carlingford.
While at Teachers'college, Libby met Stuart Foye and in May 1969, they were married and later purchased a house in Minnamurra.
“In 1972 following my grandfather's illness my parents purchased the larger house next door – 5 Shirley Street Carlingford – and my grandparents moved in with us,” Mr Sherwood said.
“George, my grandfather passed away in 1973 followed by my grandmother Ida in 1974.”
In 1976 Frederick Loder Sherwood, passed away while on holiday with Mavis in Brisbane.
In 1977, Mavis sold the family home and together with her son, she moved to an apartment in Epping, Sydney.
In 1996 Mavis moved into independent living in Blue Haven Retirement Village to be near her daughter.
In 1982 John met Kerry Cunningham and were married in Mosman in 1984. Much later their son Steven moved with them to New Zealand in 2003.
John and Kerry continue to live in Auckland and Steve now resides in Melbourne.
In 2015, Libby passed away followed by her husband in early 2017.
They are survived by their four sons, Adam, Timothy, Christopher and Mitchell.
Adam married Leia and Tim and his wife Rachel have a daughter Kaity, Mavis’ only great-grandchild so far.
In August 2017, following a short illness, Mavis relocated to Uniting Mayflower in Gerringong in order to receive a higher level of care.
Mavis’ 100th birthday will be a small family celebration on Saturday, September 9 at the Little Blowhole Art Bar in Kiama.
On September 11 (her birthday) there will be a morning tea at Mayflower.
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