‘Sharp as a tack’ Stan graduates to 100 Club

The much-loved centenarian spent his early years in Lurgan before moving to Waringstown where he joined the local Orange lodge and would become a founder member of the Waringstown branch of the Apprentice Boys.

Despite the post-war hardships, Stanley has fond memories of cycling from Co Armagh to work in Dunmurry Co-op and home again every day.

In less austere times he would travel widely with wife Edith who passed away in 2011.

The couple were married in 1943 and were inseparable for 68 years, enjoying holidays throughout Europe and as far afield as Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, Thailand and New Zealand.

Stanley lived at Hill Street in Lurgan before setting up home in Waringstown in the early 1940s and has remained there ever since.

After working for the Co-op for many years, Stanley refused to be idle and went to work in Beckett’s Sportswear in Lurgan for his brother Stanley Beckett.

He remained on the shop payroll until his mid 70s.

Granddaughter Judith Cardwell said her grandfather had a passion for fishing when he was more active and was also a regular at Glenavon’s Mourneview Park.

“He’s not the most mobile but he’s as sharp as a tack and still lives on his own,” she said.

“He keeps up all right. He’s quite independent and very determined – and still insists on doing his own washing and things like that.

“He always says ‘I still need wee jobs to do,’ and reminds us that if you don’t keep doing things you lose the ability. We don’t have to help him with too much.

“But once the News Letter comes in the morning there’s no point in staying to talk to him as he absorbs every word of it. He reads the deaths page first, ‘to check that I’m not in it’ he says, and then smiles and says: ‘I’m good for another day’.

“He’s really amazing and still has a great sense of humour,” Judith added.

Stanley, who is a member of Kilmore Church Defender’s LOL 237 and Kilmore Dove of Peace RBP 1144, enjoyed a visit from Grand Lodge Deputy Grand Master Harold Henning yesterday, and has a few other surprises in store to mark his entry into the 100 Club.

“There’s nothing much you can buy him so we made him a photo album,” Judith added.

“There are pictures of him with his brothers as boys, and then with my granny when they were young, and right through to his daughters (Sylvia and Carol) getting married and then the grandchildren (Karen and Judith) and his two great-grandchildren Ashleigh and Kathryn. They are the apples of his eye.”