Fresh sea air and her family’s undying love help Mary centenary with a smile fit for a queen
Mary Marais, a resident of Formosa Garden Village Frail Care in Plettenberg Bay, celebrated her 100th birthday on Friday, February 5.
Mary was the only child of Thirsa and Cyril Hellyer. Thirsa travelled to Bristol, England, to welcome Cyril – a ship’s captain home. After Mary’s unexpectedly early arrival, they returned to Brixham in Devon where she spent a happy and carefree childhood.
Mary and her mother occasionally accompanied her father on shorter sea voyages her mother, being a teacher, would tutor her during their time away. They voyaged to South America, to Murmansk to load timber, and also to Gibraltar.
These trips afforded Mary some unique experiences, such as sightings of albatross, St Paul’s Rock in the mid-Atlantic, and the Aurora Borealis; once, a Hying fish was caught for her to inspect.
Earning her Blue Nose certificate for crossing into the Arctic Circle was very exciting to a young girl.
To keep her busy, she was taught to steer a course, navigate, send messages via Morse Code, and even to do Sennet work (similar to macrame)!
During the depression of the 30s her lathers ship, the SS Portfield, was laid up in Amsterdam. The house in Brixham was closed up and Mary and her mother went to live on board with him.
During this time she worked with the cadets – cleaning brass, caulking decks, and working on a stage over the side of the ship with a chipping hammer and red lead paint.
This idyllic life came to an abrupt halt when officialdom caught up with them and she was required to sign up for formal schooling in Amsterdam. Mary attended grammar school in Totnes before completing a secretarial course.
At 17, she met her future husband, Douglas Gordon, who was a South African studying for his Chief Officer’s ticket while serving in the Royal Navy.
Shortly after this, Mary passed her Civil Service exam and moved to London to work at White Hall, in the War Office.
She was in a typing pool taking notes for officials, one of whom was an army lieutenant… none other than the film star, David Niven.
Doug and Mary were married in May 1942. While serving on The Duke of York battleship, Doug was given a week’s leave to go to Buckingham Palace to be invested with his DSC (Distinguished Service Cross) by the King. In June of 1943, their twin boys Douglas and Robert were born.
Unable to continue with his chosen career due to ear injury, Doug and his family returned to South Africa after the war to farm in the Lowveld near Loskop Dam, in the Eastern Transvaal. Their daughter, Rosemary was born in Pretoria, a few months after they arrived in South Africa.
In the mid-50s Doug returned to the SA Navy in Simonstown. Over the following 10 years, the children left home and Doug and Mary spent a few happy years on their own in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. Doug’s sudden passing away, just months before he was due to retire, came most unexpectedly.
The following years saw Mary working very hard refurbishing and selling old houses. She occupied her leisure time by being a wonderful grandmother to her seven grandchildren. taking them on trips to Kruger Park, the Big Hole in Kimberly, down gold mines and up the Voortrekker Monument.
As they grew older she would take four or live of them at a time on hiking trails. They still talk of their happy sojourns with Grandma Mary.
After some years as a widow, she married an old family friend, 4Saric’ (his full names were Cecil James) Marais, who too had been widowed for a few years. They retired to Plettenberg Bay, joined the local bowling club and enjoyed their last few years together until Sarie’s passing in 2000.
In time, she sold her home and in May 2002 moved into Formosa Garden Village where she spent 18 happy years in her cottage, before moving into the frail care section in August 2019.
Sadly, during lockdown she lost one of her twin sons, Douglas, to cancer and most, unfortunately, due to Covid-19 protocols, Mary-was unable to celebrate her 100th birthday with members of her family and close friends
But on the morning of this auspicious occasion, she was overwhelmed with gifts -highlighted by the inclusion of a card from Her Majesty the Queen, which her daughter had requested.
A small tea party was kindly organised for her and a few of the residents and stall* of the frail care. Marys family is particularly grateful to the stall at Formosa Garden Village for their kindness and caring during this difficult past year.
• CX-RESS thanks Mary’s daughter Rosemary Mudd – also resident at Formosa Garden Village – for contributing her mother’s riveting life story and the accompanying photos, including the image adorning our cover, and we wish Mary health and happiness for many years to come