Cambridge’s Thelma Hubbard was just a touch fashionably late for her 100th birthday party last week, and nobody minded one whit.
Thelma Hubbard enjoying a laugh at her 100th birthday party in Cambridge last week. With her are, from left, daughter Sue Hubbard, grandson Nick Franklin, son-in-law Dan Franklin and great-grandsons Hudson, 6, and Harvey, 4. Photo: Viv Posselt
That’s because her centennial celebration should have taken place around her actual birthday on December 6, but a run-in with an automatic sliding door scuppered those plans and put her in hospital for a while.
“That was really bad timing,” she said with a shrug, “but all is well now. This ended up being a wonderful party.”
The occasion at Metlifecare St Andrew’s saw more than 60 residents join with family in the Moxon Centre to finally mark her big day.
A delighted Thelma Hubbard holds up the birthday card she received from King Charles and Queen Camilla for her 100th birthday. Photo: Viv Posselt
Thelma and her late husband Brian moved to St Andrews in May 2004. After Brian’s death a decade ago, she remained living independently in the St Andrew’s village until recently when she made the move into the Moxon Centre.
The Hubbards were well known locally. They moved to Cambridge in 1977 and within a year bought a plant/gift shop in Leamington. They later opened a flower shop in Cambridge and Thelma trained as a florist. They sold that in 1983 and purchased a newspaper agency they ran until 1995. For a few years afterwards they were in business in Katikati, but the pair returned to Cambridge in 2002.
Family say they bought and sold seven different houses overall, building one of them, during their time in Cambridge.
Thelma and Brian were involved in starting a Probus group (now Rebus), and Thelma drew on her time with the Katikati Probus chapter. She won an award from Probus – something she is particularly proud of – and is also still a committee member of the Blind Low Vision group.
Those arranging Thelma Hubbard’s party put up this 1925-2025 timeline of events to mark her century. In front is a message box for guests. Photo: Viv Posselt
Hard-work and mental toughness runs through her veins. Thelma was born in Devonport but moved from Auckland after her parents split up. Later, when she aced her final school exams, she determined not to follow advice coming at her from all directions to go to university and become a doctor. She had other plans.
“I wanted to work in an office. It was wartime, and that’s the only thing I wanted to do.”
She met Brian at a dance in Christchurch, where she had been working in the stamp and death duties office. They married in 1946, and Brian, who had spent some time in the Pacific during the war, decided to join the police. His job subsequently took the family around New Zealand, but its demands on family time saw Brian move into other fields of work.
Thelma worked for much of the time as well, along with raising their four children. Two of the four have since died.
Blessed with a cheery personality, Thelma puts it her longevity down to having the right approach to life.
“I don’t feel 100,” she laughed. “I always just got on with. I’m a bit of an optimist I think … glass half full kind of girl.”
Chocolate cake and flowers for the birthday girl. Photo: Viv Posselt
