Last August, Kapiti Uniting Parish celebrated Kath Turkington turning 100. In October this year, Marie Storey became the second parishioner to turn 100. Marie still lives independently in her own home and is a loyal church attendee.

Marie grew up in Karori, Wellington where her father was a senior sergeant in the police. The first intake of policewomen in New Zealand was in 1941 and Marie signed up two years later. It was wartime and women officers were mostly involved with issues concerning women and children. They also patrolled streets and parks and were sometimes used as decoys for predators.

After living in Auckland for over 40 years Marie returned to Wellington and has been invited to many events at the Police College over the years. She has a life-long involvement with the Presbyterian Church and has been a loyal member of Kapiti Uniting since it was formed in 1984. Marie was a Presbyterian elder at St Philip’s in Point Chevalier from the early 1970s and president of their APW.

Marie also attends a weekly Tai Chi Qigong class. During the mid-session break while the others take a breather, Marie routinely comes to the front and delivers (without notes) a ‘tall story’ joke.