The Life of Owen Angus Kendall

Heritage

Owen's roots extend to England—his mother from Richmond, Surrey, and his father from Guist, Norfolk. At sixteen, Owen's father ventured to London for work, where a chance encounter at a dance hall sparked his parents' enduring romance. Wishing to seek his fortune, his father emigrated to New Zealand in 1910. Despite the distance, Owen’s parents’ love for each other persisted through handwritten letters and steadfast promises.

The War Years

During WWI, Owen's father served in the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, facing the harsh realities of the Second Battle of the Somme and surviving a near-fatal shelling. After the war, he reunited with Owen's mother in London, where they married. The couple later returned to New Zealand to establish their life. Owen grew up in Auckland with his older sister; their childhood rivalry turned into a supportive bond in adulthood. “As children, we weren’t very close and often quarrelled, but as adults, we grew very close and really looked out for each other. I guess we finally grew sensible," Owen laughs.

Education and Early Career

Owen attended Auckland Grammar School, where he developed a passion for electronics, joining the Radio Club and building crystal sets. Despite the club dissolving during the Depression, Owen's interest in radios deepened, shaping his career. “The radio ‘bug’ bit me and it became my life’s work and obsession,” says Owen. At sixteen, he left school to attend night school and simultaneously began an apprenticeship as a radio serviceman at Lewis Eady, a notable electronics store.

At 18, with the onset of WWII, Owen joined the Air Force as a wireless mechanic. He was stationed across New Zealand, where he serviced advanced aircraft like Corsairs, Harvards, and Catalinas. After the war, he was assigned to equipment sorting duty, which extended his military service until mid-1946.

Family Life

Owen met his future wife, Noelene, in their church choir while they were both in the fourth form - he at Auckland Grammar and she at Auckland Girls Grammar. Owen humorously recalls becoming so smitten that he altered his route home just to be near her. By the following year, they “were very much in love, much to the disappointment of some males - and a mother in the Parish!”, laughs Owen. At 22, Owen and Noelene married on June 21, 1947, "which just so happened to be the longest night of the year," Owen adds with a chuckle.

In 1948, a tragic turn of events occurred when Noelene fell ill during pregnancy, necessitating its termination to save her life. Owen sombrely recalls that at the time, legal approval from three different sources was required for the procedure. The ordeal not only resulted in the loss of their child but also left Noelene sterile. "We were only 23," Owen reflects with deep sorrow.

The couple were grateful to later adopt two children through St. Mary's Anglican Home for Women and Children - Rosemary in 1956 and Peter in 1958. Rosemary lives in Melbourne with her two children, and sadly, Peter recently passed away at 65.

Work

Owen's career in electronics was successful - starting at a radio manufacturing company and eventually leading to a thriving retail and service shop in Mt Eden Village, which he ran for three decades. In the early 1980s, the rise of supermarkets began to undercut his prices. Adapting to these changes, Owen decided to transition out of retail. “I sold the lease to a jeweller and set up a workshop at home, taking my service business with me,” says Owen.

Owen continued servicing electronics from home until the advent of flat screens. "I worked well into my seventies but eventually let my business wind down as the technology advanced,” he says.

Love Later in Life

After Noelene sadly passed away from leukaemia at age 56, Owen found love again with Evelyn, whom he had met 40 years earlier. “Coincidentally, her husband died on the same day as my Noelene. I wrote to her to pass on my condolences, and that sparked a few letters back and forth," he explains. Their relationship deepened during Owen’s visit to Christchurch, where Evelyn hosted him before he began hiking the Milford Track. “We just really fitted together,” reflects Owen. “I thought about her the entire time I was on my walk. That was the beginning of our friendship. We had so many mutual connections that it always felt as if we were meant to be together.”

Marrying in 1982 at age 58, Owen and Evelyn enjoyed 25 blissful years together until Evelyn’s passing at 85. Owen maintains a close relationship with Evelyn's three children.

The Move to Ranfurly Village

Owen always said he would only move into a retirement home if his health declined or his neighbours moved - events that coincidentally occurred in the same week. During a routine check-up, doctors discovered a heart valve issue, prompting him at age 88 to undergo open heart surgery, a rare procedure for someone his age. At age 93, Owen moved to Ranfurly Village when serendipitously a ground-floor unit became available. “They look after you wonderfully well here. All the staff are so kind and caring and the facilities are lovely”, says Owen.

Secret to Longevity

When asked about his longevity, Owen humorously claims he was "a late developer." He attributes his health to genetics and his parents' healthy lifestyle, which included staying slim, exercising daily, and eating sensibly—habits Owen also adopted. Raised in an alcohol-free home, Owen maintained this lifestyle throughout his own life also.

As he approaches his centenary, Owen says he does not fear death. Instead, after a life well lived, he will be happy to "give up then."

As Owen celebrates his 100th birthday at Ranfurly Village, his life story continues to inspire, testifying to the depth and richness of his years rather than merely their number.