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Joy and Alan say a shared interest in St John has helped keep them together for 58 years.
More than 80 years of combined dedicated service to St John ended last month, following the resignation of Alan and Joy Boniface from the Warkworth area committee.
Both joined the organisation as cadets separately in the United Kingdom in the 1950s and maintained their enthusiasm after emigrating to New Zealand in 1970.
Among Joy’s fond memories was forming a Guard of Honour for St John’s Commandant-in-Chief (Youth), Princess Margaret, when Joy was 14 years old. Joy is now 87.
In 1974, Joy became a superintendent in Howick, then a divisional manager. She went on to set up a St John cadet division in Howick.
In 2015, she received the Queen’s Service Medal (QSM) in the New Years’ Honours List for services to the community.
Alan, 83, had his first encounter with St John following a motorcycle accident that saw him taken to hospital in an ambulance. He was impressed by the care he received and when he was later invited to join the organisation, he was eager to do so.
“I was in the Boy Scouts as well. In those days you joined everything,” he says.
Alan became a member of the St John Warkworth area committee in 1990. Between attending his first and second committee meeting the then chairman died, and Alan was asked to take
up the role.
Over the following decades, Alan threw his heart into raising about $400,000 to build the Warkworth Ambulance Station, which opened in 2005. More recently, he has led the effort to place more than 20 defibrillators in the Warkworth area and ensured people are trained in how to use them.
Other highlights have included receiving two new donated ambulances from local benefactors Doug and Beryl Good, with a combined value of more than $500,000. Sadly, Doug Good passed away earlier this year.
In 2009, Alan received his QSM in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
“This was an incredible honour for me as it recognised my 30 years of service not only to St John, but also to Rodney Health Trust, Rotary and the wider Warkworth community,” he says.
“I still don’t know who nominated me.”
Alan and Joy say their shared interest in St John has no doubt helped keep them together for the last 58 years.
“It’s a great organisation to be involved in. It does so much good in the community. No matter who you talk to, they say, ‘Oh, thank goodness, there are people like you around’,” Alan says.
Although stepping down from the Warkworth Area Committee, neither Alan nor Joy plan to sit on their hands.
Alan says he will be on hand to assist new committee chairman Dr Warwick Palmer if required, and the couple are kept busy as custodians of the Sandspit Yacht Club – a role they have occupied for more than 20 years.
Joy continues as a member of the Kowhai Singers and is currently preparing for concerts in Leigh and Warkworth in October.
The Warkworth area committee will celebrate Joy and Alan’s combined service with a luncheon at the Sandspit Yacht Club. The date is still to be determined.
