Second World War veteran Gordon Bickerton marks his 100th birthday at the Ridgewood Veterans Health Wing in Saint John. Bickerton remained inside due to COVID-19 restrictions while his family held a celebration outside of his window. (Photo submitted)
It has been months since Gordon Bickerton’s family has been able to see him in person because of COVID-19.
But they were not going to let the pandemic stop them from marking the Second World War veteran’s 100th birthday.
Family members held a celebration outside of his window at the Ridgewood Veterans Health Wing in Saint John on Tuesday.
“It was a very big day,” said Bickerton’s granddaughter, Dana Douthwright, during a phone interview after the celebration.
“He’s been in this home since November and the only thing that’s really gotten him through and kept him positive was looking forward to his 100th birthday.”
Douthwright said they tried to make the day as special as possible for her grandfather, who served with the 8th Canadian Hussars regiment.
The regiment sent a bagpiper to the celebration while representatives thanked Bickerton for his service and congratulated him on his milestone, she said.
“We were only able to see him through the window which was very emotional because we just wanted so bad to hug him,” said Douthwright.
Second World War veteran Gordon Bickerton marks his 100th birthday at the Ridgewood Veterans Health Wing in Saint John. (Photo submitted)
Bickerton was just six weeks old when his parents relocated from England to Canada after the First World War, deciding to settle in the Norton area.
When the Second World War began, Bickerton went overseas and served with the 8th Canadian Hussars. He went on to spend 25 years as a mechanic before retiring as a sergeant.
Bickerton was also the caretaker for Princess Louise, the horse mascot for the regiment.
As the world fights an entirely different war — that being the COVID-19 pandemic — Douthwright said the past few months have been hard on the family.
“I think it’s harder on us than it is on him. He’s lived through war so this is a cakewalk for him,” she said.
“I think it’s harder on us because we don’t know if we’re ever going to see him again. We don’t know if we’re going to be able to touch his hand and hug him and tell him that we love him. We can talk to him on the phone but he doesn’t really do well with that because he can’t really hear that great.”
New Brunswick health officials have slowly begun to loosen restrictions put in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Effective June 19, indoor visits will be allowed at long-term care facilities with one visitor at a time for residents.
“As soon as that’s lifted, I’ll probably be the first one there,” said Douthwright.
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