By Alesha Capone
Werribee resident and World War II veteran William Maurice ‘Morrie’ Weston celebrated his 100th birthday last week.
His son Paul said his father was born in Carlton on October 21, 1920.
Paul said his dad had always been active, playing competitive football, cricket, tennis and later lawn bowls.
“He enjoyed travelling to Benalla to stay on [a] relative’s farm, a country kid at heart,” Paul said.
Morrie enlisted for the war in August 1940 and became a Flight Sergeant in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAFF), serving in Darwin and the Philippines.
Upon returning to Australia, he spent another 22 or so years working as a storeman at the RAAF bases in Point Cook and Laverton.
After the war, Morrie met his wife Dorothy (deceased) and they married on December 2, 1950.
They had two children, Maureen (deceased) and Paul.
Paul said his dad learned carpentry at night school and built a house in Laverton.
Morrie lived there for 24 years before moving to Werribee, where he still resides.
Paul said his father was passionate about remaining active.
“If you ask about his longevity, I would say he kept active whether it was work, sport and gardening,” Paul said.
“He always said: ‘If you stop, you stop forever,’ so he finds a way to keep active.”
Morrie, a member of the Werribee RSL sub-branch, marked Anzac Day in April this year, by lighting a candle and standing in his driveway.
