Ninety-four-year-old Thelma Forty from Oliver is like the Energizer Bunny – she keeps going and going and going. And what keeps her going is her passion for volunteering to make the world a better place.
Lyonel Doherty photo
Come on, Thelma, act your age!
Okay, she’ll try, but it’s not easy.
At 94, Thelma Forty is still doing what she does best – volunteering to make the world a better place.
One of Oliver’s most respected seniors is the top nominee in a recognition program to honour seniors’ contributions in their home communities. Other nominees include Carol Howes, Paul Turigan and Fern Rehbein.
Forty said she was quite surprised by the nomination, saying a lot of other people are more deserving.
“As long as you’re active and doing something, it keeps you going,” she stated.
The great grandmother to 16 children moved to Oliver from England in 1959. Her husband, Dick Forty, always wanted to grow apples in BC, so they purchased an orchard and put in a lot of sweat equity for little return.
Thelma found her calling in 1968 when she began helping patients at St. Martin’s Hospital run by the Sisters of St. Ann. She continued volunteering when South Okanagan General Hospital opened its doors.
“I just felt we (the auxiliary) should do something to help them,” she said, noting they participated in baking and sewing programs that patients really enjoyed.
Forty was also active in the South Okanagan Naturalists Club. As an avid bird watcher, she managed the annual Christmas bird count. Her favourite species is the mountain bluebird and the chickadee.
Forty is a staunch supporter of the Oliver Rotary Club and Grandmothers for Africa. Her heart goes out to the millions of orphans in Africa and the grandmothers who have to look after them because the parents died of aids.
“I think of those poor little babies with nobody,” Thelma said.
She pointed out how difficult it is to recruit new volunteers today, especially for the Rotary Club that does so many good things.
“If people just get off their duffs and do more, even once a week, it would help.”
Thelma feels good for 94. She exercises and drives a scooter. But she misses her Nissan Pathfinder that was stolen three years ago.
One day she woke up and the vehicle was gone from the street. It was found spray painted and trashed two weeks later. She never bothered to get a new car.
“These kids don’t give a damn; they just take things,” Thelma said, shaking her head.
Despite her age, Thelma is trying to keep up with modern technology. She has a computer (for emails) and actually uses Skype to communicate with her family. But she doesn’t like the fact that children always have their heads buried in their cell phones and iPods.
“I wouldn’t buy them for my kids. My great grandchildren come to see me, but they have their heads stuck in them (all the time).”
Thelma said she will continue to volunteer as long as her back holds up, and she will continue to have her glass of wine every day, which she reveals is her “secret” to longevity. But just one glass.
Thelma said if everyone remembered to do things in moderation, they would be much better off.
Lyonel Doherty
Oliver Chronicle
