Mr Bazin was born in 1912, the same year as Perry Como and Gene Kelly, when the average weekly wage was £1.40, petrol cost 1.5p per litre and it was ha’penny to post a letter.
He moved to Trevern in January 2010, having previously lived with his wife Maria in Madeira Walk, Falmouth for 40 years.
Mrs Bazin said: “After 40 years of marriage I can say Rene has been a knowledgeable companion and have recently discovered another, admirable, characteristic – his unfailing appreciation of everything I did for him and his children. This characteristic is quite noticeable and appreciated by the staff at Trevern.
“He is a very patient, fun-loving man and an extremely good communicator. Rene is just one of those people who makes a mark on everyone. The staff at Trevern love Rene because he is so polite; he thanks them all the time.”
Mr Bazin, nicknamed Hector by his children after a character in a children’s television programme, has two children, Bryan and Cherie, two step-children, Fiona and Lee, and three grandchildren.
For many years he ran his own manufacturing company, designing and making machinery. He grew up in an atheist household and in his adult life, joined the humanists. He is now life president of the Cornwall Humanist Society.
Mrs Bazin has painstakingly compiled a history of her husband’s life, including letters he wrote, old photos, documents and tributes, to pass on to his granddaughter.
She said: “Rene thoroughly enjoyed his birthday celebrations. He was well enough to come home for the day, and was visited by his family. We had lots of old photographs for him to look at – it was a wonderful, memorable day.”
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