 Mervin Watson is a name well known in tennis circles around the world. He has won so many awards that when the couple began to downsize he removed the plates from numerous cups and donated them to two Kelowna tennis clubs. In 2005, Mervin was the proud recipient of the Athlete of the Year award given by the City of Kelowna. His competition for this award included athletes of all ages, not just seniors. He continues to play competitively and further add to his collection of trophies and plaques, winning everything in his age group at the senior’s Games. This year, as always, he plans to compete in provincial, national and world tournaments.
For his third act, Merv took on researching his and Lyn’s family histories. He has produced four books chronicling their heritage and now helps others with their genealogy. Merv traced six of eight great grandparents to the 1850’s and the tiny Island of St. Helena, a British colony on the South Atlantic Ocean, and one of the most remote places in the world. The couple went there to complete their research, which meant traveling for five days by ship, the only method of transportation from Cape Town, South Africa to Jamestown, the island’s capital. They stayed for two weeks and Merv spent much of his time garnering information from local church records, which he says are very complete. (History buffs will recall St. Helena as the place of Napoleon’s final exile and death).
Lyn’s act three pursuit is earning a degree in Fine Arts at the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO). After surviving cancer in 2003 she asked herself:
“What do I want to do with the rest of my life?”
The answer to that question appeared when taking a course in art through the Society for Learning in Retirement (SLR). The instructor, recognizing Lyn’s talent, urged her to continue her studies. Lyn registered the following September and is now in her third year.
Many of her works are displayed in the couple’s home. I was treated to a tour as well as a viewing of many more works on the family’s web site. To date, Lyn has not been able to part with her work outside of the family. Many of them have been sent to South Africa, where the couple’s three offspring reside. However, her goal is to be a working artist.
The couple keeps mentally active playing bridge, which they also learned through SLR. They organize games once or twice a week with friends they have made through playing. Mango, the family canine companion, takes Lyn outdoors in all kinds of weather for his exercise.
The couple made a bold move to Canada from South Africa in 1980 with their three children. They now lead travel groups to the country of their birth. Mervin organizes the tours, with the exception of air transportation. The tours are geared to the interests of the participants and are generally limited to from 6 to 12 of their friends and acquaintances. It provides them with an opportunity to show off their homeland and also to visit their now grown children.
Act Three is a stimulating and interesting adventure for this couple of forty years. 2007-05 -By Donna E Duke
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