By Abbey Cannan
A Noosaville couple who met as teenagers in the same class at night school are celebrating 65 years of marriage.
Peter and Sylvia Evans, who have lived in the Noosa area since 2003, said the key to their long lasting marriage was patience, love, and their family.
“When we met we were just teenagers having fun after night school, then meeting up at cinemas with friends and it just grew from there,” Sylvia said.
“Courting at 16, we were engaged a week before my 18th birthday and married at 20 on the 14th of July.”
The couple both worked in the steel industry in offices in Yorkshire, United Kingdom and migrated to Australia in June 1969.
“Peter got a job in Campbelltown, and I worked in a garment factory for a while so we could buy a car,” Sylvia said.
“Then I got job with the Army as a typist and Peter transferred to Brisbane [in] 1977.”
Peter worked in steel companies in sales and management until he retired in 1994 while Sylvia retired in 1985.
Together the couple grew their family with four wonderful children, Paul, Jill, Dave and Steve, but endured unimaginable loss as parents.
“We lost Jill at 17 after a car accident in 1979, and lost Stephen at 35 in a motor bike accident in 1999.”
At 85 and 86 years old, the couple said they expected to stay married forever.
Peter and Sylvia will be celebrating their milestone on Saturday 17 July at Pier 11 with children, grandchildren and possibly great grandchildren.
