Georgios Lygouris, celebrated his 101st birthday on Friday in the presence of his family, one that includes five children (two boys and three girls), 14 grandchildren and 22 greatgrandchildren.
Born in Kalamata on 20 January 1922 Mr Lygouris, a constable in Greece, initially moved with his family to Germany in search of a better life.
He returned to Greece from where he made another leap -this time permanent- to Australia in 1967 following the military coup that same year.
Mr Lygouris found a job at the Holden factory where he worked with his wife Athanasia for decades.
One of the hardest moments was the passing of his wife three and a half years ago but what kept his positive is the knowing that they have created a beautiful family together, a legacy.
His daughter, 3XY presenter Mary Tsimiklis-Oikonomopoulos told Neos Kosmos that her father remains a “teenager” even at 100 years old.
“Thankfully, dad remains in good health. He has full mental clarity, remembers everything and is active. Sometimes his cane helps a little between activities. His favourite is taking care of his garden, which he cares for daily. He still loves a good card game, especially biriba, and he’s quite good at it!” Ms Tsimiklis-Oikonomopoulos said adding that Mr Lygouris was extra happy and in a great mood on his birthday.