Well-known Roma local turns 99
HE HAS always lived in Roma and was born in the house he would spend the first 94 years of his life living in.
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HE has spent his entire life as a Roma local, seen everything between World War II and the coronavirus, and today Leonard Thomas ‘Lenny’ Cunningham celebrated his 99th birthday!
His nephew Paul Brennan was there to visit for the special occasion, spending the day at Mr Cunningham’s residence at Pinaroo aged care where he has lived for over four and a half years.
“He was born on the 20th of July 1921,” Mr Brennan said.
“He has lived at May Street all his life until the last four and a half years.
“He had seven brothers and one sister, so it was a big family.
“He was number 6 out of 9.”
Mr Cunningham has always enjoyed sport, having played cricket, rugby and tennis throughout his life.
During his time playing rugby league, he won a premiership for the Roma Cities when he was 19 years old in 1940.
“He was a good sportsman in his youth, playing cricket and he proudly tells us that he scored a couple of hundreds in his time.
“When he was young, boxing was really big and they were mad keen on boxing.”
Mr Cunningham worked at the Maranoa Traders, then moved on to work for Hardcastles Sports Store for 10 years and even became the manager of the Supa Value bottle shop.
Then, he worked at the post office, retiring in 1986 at the age of 65.
But one of his biggest achievements was his service in World War 2.
“He was with a supply unit, so fuel supply, and based in Mt Isa,” Mr Brennan said.
“At the end of the war he was sent to Brisbane.”
Living in Roma has been a very enjoyable experience for Mr Cunningham and he’s made a lot of friends over the years.
“He just takes things steady; he enjoys watching the racing on TV, doesn’t follow the football much these years,” Mr Brennan said.
“Unfortunately, he’s lost a lot of friends, especially those he used to play a lot of sport with.”
Although he doesn’t think rugby league is what it used to be, he still enjoys watching cricket on the TV.