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‘ Exhilarating ’
Lilydale aged care resident Bob Craig . Picture : Supplied .
89-year-old aged care resident ticks skydiving off bucket list .
By Elise Hartevelt
Bob Craig , an 89-year-old aged care facility resident , has fulfilled his lifelong dream of jumping out of airplane .
In early May , Bob jumped out of an airplane from 15,000 feet accompanied by Allity Lilydale ’ s lifestyle coordinator Maureen Hincksman .
The Scotsman took the leap wearing a kilt his wife of 67 years had given to him .
“ She passed away , the kilt came , and I wanted to wear it during the jump ,” Bob said .
“ Though it was a bit chilly , it was exhilarating – I ’ ve never experienced anything quite like it .
“ When you go up that height , you ’ re floating .”
Maureen , who jumped afterwards , said she was ‘ happy to be behind him , not underneath him .’
Bob is no stranger to jumping from great heights .
During his service in the national military , he completed jumping course which saw him leap out of a air balloon and land ‘ without breaking anything .’
At the age of 21 , he worked as an armament fitter for the Scottish air force and focused on demolition and explosives .
“ As part of my duties , i was sent to Malaysia during the Malayan Emergency , a guerrilla conflict from 1948 to 1960 , and spent 18 months in the jungle ,” he said .
“ When Ms Hincksman asked me to jump out of a plane , I thought , why not ?” Bob said .
Maureen , who is 58-year-old , said the jump was a momentous occasion for herself and the facility .
With a career in aged care spanning over 40 years , Maureen said she couldn ’ t imagine doing anything else .
“ It ’ s the interaction with the residents and the outcome of when you ’ re doing great things and making them happy every day ,” she said .
“ It ’ s important to listen to what they want to do .
“ I wanted to bring the bucket list to Lilydale and hear from residents about things that interest them .”
Bob said that Maureen ’ s commitment to aged care work was similar to a greyhound .
“ She just doesn ’ t stop running around the place ,” she said .
After leaving the army , Bob became a toolmaker with Rolls Royce .
But one day in 1960 , coming home from work , his wife Joan said , ‘ I ’ m fed up – I ’ m 25 , got two kids , and I ’ m stuck here .’
“ So , we sat down that night and wrote a letter to relatives in Australia , and three months later , we were living on a boat towards Queensland ,” Bob said .
“ Joanne was seasick for five weeks out of the six .”
They bought a house in Montrose , Queensland , where they lived for 11 years and welcomed their third child , a daughter .
By the time their children went to university , they lived in Bundaberg , and Bob was working as an engineer in the sugar mills . In 1971 , they moved to Melbourne . Today , Bob has four great-greatgrandsons , one great-granddaughter , and one great-grandson , who visit him as often as they can .
“ Two of my family members , a grandson Robert , a paramedic , and his wife Tammy , a registered nurse , live in Perth and are rather busy ,” he said .
“ That ’ s still on my bucket list – to fly over and see them before I hit my 90th birthday in September .” ■
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