ESPERANZA Murdolo, who married twice, has just celebrated her 100th birthday.
As a Bolivian widow Esperanza Nava was visiting her son Antonio when mutual friends introduced her to Italian widower Domenico Murdolo at Eastlakes Shopping Centre. Both Esperanza and Domenico were then in their 60s and it was love at first sight.
The two married in 1977 and lived in Botany together for 27 years until Domenico, who was in bad health, went to live at Scalabrini Village, Bexley, in 2004 at the age of 92.
Esperanza followed her husband to the village the next year and Domenico died in 2008.
Esperanza continues to live at Scalabrini.
She is the mother of Antonio and Esperansita, who died in 2009, and has five grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and was a stepmother and step grandmother to Domenico's family.