THERE were greetings from the Queen and cards and messages from Governor-General Quentin Bryce and other dignitaries for William Llewellyn and his wife Doreen May earlier this month.
The popular Narre Warren couple were celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary on April 12. Their family took them to the Settlement hotel in Cranbourne for a night out. Bill and Doreen cut a cake and were feted right royally with cards, flowers and personal gifts.
Doreen, 84, has been cared for by the staff at the Berwick private nursing home CraigCare for more than 10 years. Such is the depth of his love for his wife that Bill, 86, visits her daily.
Doreen and Bill tied the knot at St James Anglican Church in Dandenong.
Bill, originally from Castlemaine, is the son of William Henry and Phyllis Mary Llewellyn. He moved to Moonee Ponds with his mother in 1933 and from there mother and son came to live at 30 Stud Road, opposite the Dandenong butter factory.
They moved in January 1935 to Kays Avenue, Hallam, until September 1946 when they went to live in Doveton Avenue, Doveton. “After my mother’s death, Doreen and I moved to Narre Warren,” Bill said.
“Doreen and I have two children: Elizabeth (Mrs Rodney Coulton of Narre Warren) and John, who also lives in Narre Warren. We’ve got five grandsons – four to Betty and one to John.”
Bill attended the Dandenong Primary School 1403 in Foster Street East and then the Dandenong High School.
He joined an air training corps at the age of 16. His first job was at Pigdon and Lardner’s timber and hardware store near the Foster/Lonsdale streets corner and was employed there for 16 years.
In 1960 the business was sold to Arkana building supplies. Bill left Arkana in 1976 due to health reasons.
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