Weekley care home resident celebrates 100th birthday

A resident at a care home in Weekley has turned 100.
Jean with daughters Rosemary and Maggie (front), Rosemarys daughter Naomi, granddaughter Jenny (second row)  and daughter in law Fiona ( back) NNL-170914-132602005Jean with daughters Rosemary and Maggie (front), Rosemarys daughter Naomi, granddaughter Jenny (second row)  and daughter in law Fiona ( back) NNL-170914-132602005
Jean with daughters Rosemary and Maggie (front), Rosemarys daughter Naomi, granddaughter Jenny (second row) and daughter in law Fiona ( back) NNL-170914-132602005

Susannah Simpkins, known as Jean, reached the milestone on Tuesday (September 12) at the Old Vicarage Care Home.

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Jean was brought up with her mum, brother Dick and her grandma and trained as a confectioner before joining the WRAAF (RAF) as a driver.

She met her husband Russell at Henlow RAF Base and married in 1943.

Demobbed in 1944, her daughter Rosemary was born later that year where they moved to Carshalton.

Her second daughter Margaret arrived in 1948.

Jean moved to Weldon to look after Russell’s frail parents, with the family soon joining her, and son David arrived in 1956.

Russell died in 1987, two years after retirement.

Jean was also president of the WI.

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Jean travelled extensively to Australia and Kenya visiting Rosemary and her family, and also went to South Africa visiting Margaret and her family.

She finally packed away her passport in 2003 declaring to her three children, nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren that she was now too old to travel at the age of 83.

Jean arrived at The Old Vicarage Weekley in June 2015, where she is cherished by all of the staff.