Golden milestone for former Olympian and wife

By Charles Fernandez
(Published in The Star, February 8, 2010)


MARRIAGES, it is said, are made in heaven and this must hold true for former Olympian Peter Van Huizen, 77, and his wife Angeline, 74, who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in Seremban recently.

The couple also share a common interest in sports — both love hockey.

While Peter represented Malaya in the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 and the Tokyo Asian Games two years later, Angeline represented her company not only in hockey but athletics as well.

Fifty years together: Peter and Angeline cutting their anniversary cake during the dinner reception in a restaurant in Seremban.

Love blossomed when the couple met while both were working for the then Jabatan Telekom.

Peter and Angeline, who have two sons and four grandsons, renewed their marriage vows at the Carmelite Monastery in Jalan Rasah together with another couple who also happened to have been married at the same time in the Church of Visitation.

Later in the evening, the couple was joined by more than 250 relatives and friends at a dinner reception held at a local restaurant.

Asked for their secret to happiness, both replied: “Faith, trust and love — but most importantly, love.”

“There must also be mutual trust and respect between husband and wife,” Peter said as his “blushing bride” nodded her head in agreement.

A beaming Angeline said it had been a wonderful 50 years and that God had blessed them with two wonderful children and four grandchildren.

Still very active at an age when most people would have called it quits, Peter and Angeline are both involved in church activities.

For Peter, old habits die hard: he is also a familiar face at hockey matches where his two grandsons Matthew and Luke are goalkeepers for SMK St. Paul’s Institution in Seremban.

When asked to share the secret of their long-lasting marriage with their guests, Peter said both had to have a give-and-take attitude.