Above right: Dandenong residents Angeline and Alfred Cooke will this weekend celebrate 60 years of marriage.By Shaun Inguanzo
WHAT do the Pope, the Queen of England, the Victorian Premier, the Governor-General and the Prime Minister have in common?
Each sent a message of congratulations to Dandenong’s Angeline and Alfred Cooke for 60 years of wedded bliss.
The Cooke family migrated from India to Australia 20 years ago and has since called Dandenong its home.
Alfred, who served in the Ministry of Defence in New Delhi, met Angeline at a social dance when he swept through town.
After he courted Angeline the pair married and had seven children, all whose names begin with the letter A – Arlene, Adrian, Anne, Alma, Alexander, Audrey, and Averil, who still lives in India.
The happily wedded couple proudly showed Star the many photographs from past and present that have helped turn their house into a home.
After all, it is the children, Alfred says, and now the 14 grandchildren, who have given the couple the vigour and energy to remain as happy as the day they met.
“The children and the grandchildren are the secret,” he said.
“They keep us going, we keep them going.”
The diamond anniversary is on 23 October, but the celebration will occur this Saturday, 21 October, with family and friends at the Camelot Reception Centre.
Before the celebration the couple will renew their vows and exchange diamond rings in front of nearly 200 guests at St Peter’s Church in Clayton.
