88 year old Ross Bartlett has been living at Thomas Perrott Village for the past 12 months, having downsized from his home in Kwinana after sadly losing
his wife of 65 years Eileen to cancer. He also receives home care services from Southern Plus, including physiotherapy, cleaning and occasional transportation to appointments.
Ross was born in York, Western Australia, to a farming family. He said York was a fairly desolate town in those days, and with little or no medical services in the region, he was literally born in a ‘horse and cart’.
“There was not much there when I was growing up and my parents did it pretty tough, especially when the depression hit”.
At the age of 14, Ross went off to work doing various jobs, including a stint with the WA Farmers Co-operative Company and the WA Government Railways until deciding to join the air force in 1947 aged 18.
After meeting and marrying Eileen in 1951, and then starting a family, Ross decided to leave the air force and settle down firstly in York and then in Kwinana. Soon after, he joined BP at its Kwinana Refinery, working there for 30 years in various roles, finally retiring in 1985.
Retirement provided a wonderful opportunity for Ross and his wife to take off and explore Australia, which they enjoyed doing for the next 11 years.
“We both wanted to have an adventure and see Australia so we purchased a 4WD and a caravan and off we went. We had a fantastic time going off the beaten track and we were lucky enough to see some amazing places”.
With three children, six grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and lots of extended family close by, family plays a huge part in Ross’ life.
“I’m very fortunate to have a wonderful family who visit me often and are always checking in on me. I enjoy getting out and about so I’m often going out for lunch with family too,” he said.
Ross said he’s glad he made the move to Thomas Perrott, enjoying the community atmosphere, low maintenance lifestyle and support he receives from the Southern Plus team.
“The other residents here are very nice. It’s a friendly place, which is good because it can be lonely after my wife passed away. I also find my villa easy to look after, especially having the weekly cleaning service from Southern Plus.
“Both Southern Cross Care and Southern Plus have been fantastic. My Wellness Partner Linda, in particular, is wonderful, tending to my every need and making sure all my home care services are in place,” Ross said.
Ross Bartlett
Ross and his wife Eileen
