Centenarian Norma Fahey celebrates her 102nd birthday

Dressed to the nines in Belgian pearls and a new outfit, a Cairns centenarian got the surprise of her life when her family celebrated her 102nd birthday recently.

The secret to Norma Fahey’s long life has been joy and her family.

Ms Fahey celebrated her birthday with family and friends at the Trinity Beach Sports Club on Sunday after reaching a milestone of 102 on Friday.

Dressed to the nines in Belgian pearls and a new outfit, Norma said the gathering was a big surprise.

“It was a very big surprise but a lovely one,” Ms Fahey said.

Dozens of family members and friends met to the Trinity Beach Sports Club on Sunday to celebrate Norma Fahey's 102nd birthday. Picture: Brendan Radke

Originally from Melbourne, Ms Fahey moved to Cairns in the 90s with her husband and two children.

Ms Fahey’s son Vance said he wondered if a long life was in his genes too.

“The way she’s going they (the birthdays) will just keep coming,” Mr Fahey said.

Ms Fahey has been living with her son and daughter-in-law Nikki Lowmass in Trinity Beach since moving from her Smithfield home five years ago.

“Part of the longevity is probably also the fact there isn’t that stress of living by yourself. We look after her diet and everything that goes with it.”

Ms Lowmass said Ms Fahey had a great sense of humour and enjoyed banter.

Dozens of family members and friends met to the Trinity Beach Sports Club on Sunday to celebrate Norma Fahey's 102nd birthday. Norma Fahey with her son Vance Fahey and her grandson Colby Sanders. Picture: Brendan Radke

“In the evening I’ll ask her what would you like to eat and she’ll say — well, what’s on offer?” Ms Lowmass said.

“We needed to have someone help her shower and I said I’m going to put you in the driveway and hose you down, is that OK? She looked at me for a second and started to laugh. Silly jokes, but she loves it.

“We haven’t got a lot of family left but what we haven’t got in family, we make up for in mum’s friends,” Mr Fahey said.

Friend Glenn DeBarnes said Ms Fahey loved Bingo and reality TV.

“We had a 21-seater-bus in which we used to pick Norma up every morning, take her to the centre and they’d have morning tea and play games,,” Ms DeBarnes said.

“But about 2pm, we would take her home because she always wanted to make it in time for Judge Judy.”

Originally published as Centenarian Norma Fahey celebrates her 102nd birthday