By ANEEKA SIMONIS
THE secret to a happy marriage is building it around a friendship, said a Pakenham woman who celebrated her 60th wedding anniversary last week.
Kath and Bob Florance, both 83 years old, found love many years ago at a dance in St Kilda.
“We met at a dance at St Kilda Town Hall. I used to live in Armadale and he was boarding near Caulfield. We were attracted to each other but it was a slow relationship. We didn’t rush into anything … we just enjoyed each other’s company,” Kath recalled.
The pair, who were married three years later in Armadale, went on to have three children as well as adopt two non-identical twin boys.
“It was a great joy seeing them grow up and enjoy what they do. We love having our family around us,” Kath said.
Her 60-year milestone was a combination of compatibility, kindness and hard work, Kath said.
“I feel very blessed to be having an anniversary like this. A lot of people unfortunately don’t get to the stage we are at. Through life, things aren’t always easy, but we have coped and got on with it and to me, that’s life.”
The couple’s oldest daughter Jenny Donald said her parents were one in a million.
“They’re just amazing parents and they have always been there for us,” she said.
“I used to do swimming at the old Olympic pool in Melbourne city. And I remember dad used to take me swimming there every Saturday morning. He would make breakfast for me, make sure I was well fed and wait for me to swim.”
Kath and Bob celebrated their milestone wedding anniversary at their Pakenham home with children Jenny, Sandra, Julie, Graham and Peter along with extended family and friends.
The pair moved to Pakenham 10 years ago from Sale.
