By Callum Ludwig
A pair of plaques have been unveiled at the Yarra Centre, honouring two stalwarts of recreation activity and fitness.
Friends and family of Glennice Mathers and Egon Fink gathered on Tuesday 11 July, sharing memories and stories of the pair who many met through ‘Glen’s Goldies’.
Glen’s Goldies was a warm-water exercise group started by Glennice in May 2005 and held in the pool at the centre, aiming to help those in the community suffering from arthritis or muscle and joint pain.
Dawn Adams organised the gathering and said thanks to Glennice, the group is still going stronger than ever.
“We have between 40 and 50 people aged between 55 and 90 years young attending our warm water exercise classes 3 days a week, and I know Glennice would be very proud and happy with the work we are doing in her name,” she said.
“These leaders are volunteers and strongly believe in the benefits of this work Glennice started and we hope her work will always be there to help people that need it.”
Glennice was a Launching Place resident before moving to Cranbourne in 2014 and was also a former employee at the Star Mail.
After 11 years leading the group, Glennice lost her battle with cancer at the age of only 72, her death leaving ‘a very large hole in a lot of people’s hearts.’
One such person who benefited from the connection of Glen’s Goldies was the effervescent Egon Fink, who joined the group with his wife Maureen in 2007.
In August of 2022, Egon even led the group in their exercises, telling the Mail at the time that he loved ‘the exercise and the company’ as ‘it’s good for my body’ and that he felt ‘very special’ to have had so many people celebrate his 90th birthday with him.
Ms Adams said on his last birthday, he was in his glory and could not stop smiling.
“He was a real character and could be as funny as a clown one minute and as serious as, the next, but he was also a passionate and kind man,” she said.
“He said at his 90th birthday party, that his life was a part of 4 groups, his precious family, Glen’s Goldies swimming group, the Keenagers table tennis group and his beloved card club.”
Egon and Maureen ran the Keenagers table tennis at the Yarra Centre ever since March 2009.
Egon died suddenly and unexpectedly due to a respiratory problem in February 2023.
Egon’s wife Maureen and Glennice’s daughter Salli attended to officially unveil the plaques, which can found taking pride of place on the wall facing the pools.
