Harry and Jan Collins (nee Jones) recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at Our Lady of Mt Carmel Hilton with a special Mass, a blessing from Pope Benedict and another from Fr Paul Raj.
Later, they celebrated with family and friends at their home in Samson.
The couple met whilst serving at RAAF Base Pearce and were married at Christ the King Church, Beaconsfield, on June 16, 1962 by Fr Paul Siebert OMI.
Jan was educated by the Sisters of St Joseph at Beaconsfield and Fremantle, Harry by the Christian Brothers at Castledare and Clontarf.
After leaving the airforce, Harry studied at night school in Accountancy and later worked in several positions.
During that time their two sons, Michael and Peter, were born and today they have six beautiful grandchildren.
Five weeks after their son Peter was born in 1965, Jan started work in a number of jobs, the final one being for 23 years with the Education Department, retiring in 1999.
The same year, she started with St Vincent De Paul in Hilton, and is still doing one day a week.
In 1978, Harry joined Fremantle Hospital and, in 1988, became a Special Minister at Mt Carmel where they have attended for 40 years.
In 1991, he was commissioned as a Justice of the Peace and is described by those who know him as always being on hand if anyone needs his services as a JP, whether police, signing centres or the public in general.
“Recent illness has slowed us down a bit,” says Jan, “but our faith is strong and with God’s help we hope to have many more happy years together.”