Another Bingo Centurion Passes Away

When you get on in life, it is not always possible to take part in sports or strenuous exercise but this is when the fun and games of bingo comes to the fore. It is a great achievement when a person reaches 100 years old but the number of bingo players who manage to reach this grand old age indicates that there may be a link to playing and reaching a great age.

There is definitely something in keeping your mind active and perhaps his love of bingo was one reason why Bill Gascoigne managed to reach 102. Sadly, he passed away days short of his 103^rd birthday but there was a mood of looking back and celebrating his life alongside being mournful for his passing. Bill was a regular attendee at the Mini Club in the West Hunstpill Day Centre and many people there have been taking the time to remember him.

Bingo was a big thing for Bill

Bill’s daughter Linda Clark said; “Everybody knew Billy. He was kind and would do anything to help people. He’d pick a friend’s dog up and give it a walk for them. He’d often walk to the church from Market Street, in Highbridge, where he lived, and was always dressed smartly.”

It seems as though Bill has managed to battle his way past a number of illnesses over the years with an old friend outlining some of the ways Bill outlived expectations. “When he was 89 he said ‘I’ve had it, I’ve been diagnosed with lung cancer’ . . . well, he lived to 102. He was quite active and liked to keep going. He had a great sense of humour.”

Bill’s lust for life was confirmed by his daughter, saying; “After about a year, he thought he wasn’t going anywhere and felt a lot better. He had a fall last winter and, more recently, a stroke. He was sharp as a button until then and even got up and danced on his 100th birthday with my sister-in-law.”

It seems as though Bill’s long-life runs in the family though and there have been plenty of others in his family who have managed to live to a grand old age. Again, Bill’s daughter explained; “His two brothers are still with us, one is nearly 98 and the other is around 96. His dad died at 94 and his two sisters were in their 80s.”