Pulling up at Carlton House of Oak Bay, John Hillman worried he was a bit too grumpy to celebrate his 105th birthday.
But greeted by friends and fans garnered during is six-year stay at the seniors residence quickly redeemed his mood.
“I thought ‘oh dear’ I better put a smile on, but I don’t have to, it’s already there,” Hillman said, standing in the sunny courtyard filled with his admirers on hand to celebrate on March 18.
He’d just finished one last lap of the courtyard at Carlton House – a ceremonial end of an era.
The circuit was filled with handshakes, hugs and well-wishes from the fans gathered over the previous four years of fundraising – an effort well documented in local media and online.
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Hillman started the walks in 2020 – the year he turned 101. Over several days, the Second World War veteran donned his dress uniform and paced out 101 laps of the courtyard, inspired by fellow veteran Capt. Tom Moore of England, who did 100 laps of his garden to raise money for charities. Hillman resurrected the fundraiser each year for three more years – each year adding a lap to match his age. To date, he has raised more than $450,000 for Save the Children.
“What’s incredible is not just that dollar amount that he’s raised, but the fact that he started doing this at such an advanced age and then he kept going. His incredible efforts remind us all that age is just a number and that we all have the power to do something to make a difference in the lives of others,” said Jacqueline Prewett, a marketing manager for Carlton House of Oak Bay.
While stepping back from his fundraising walks, Hillman plans to leave the online fund at bit.ly/JohnHillmanFund open indefinitely in the hopes people will continue to support the cause.
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The Welsh-born centenarian came to Canada more than two decades ago – becoming a citizen in 2022 at 103. For six years he called Carlton House home and recently moved to a residence in Saanich.
“John’s story has become such an important piece of our own history here,” Prewett said. To commemorate his time and accomplishments, Carlton House will hang a framed collection of photos, clippings and his story, titled: “Honouring John Hillman the man who walked the walk.”