ARARAT resident Salvatore Cannata celebrated his 80th birthday last Tuesday.
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The octogenarian and his five children came together at the Ararat RSL to mark the occasion.
It was a double celebration for Mr Cannata, with a new great-grandchild welcomed into the world. Harlow Grace was born in Tasmania on the same day as Mr Cannata turned 80.
Mr Cannata came to Australia from Siricusa, Sicily, in 1969. His wife Concetta and their children followed a year later. Concetta died eight years ago and in July 2015, Mr Cannata lost his son Morris.
His remaining children – Samantha, Nina, John and Rita – all live in Ararat, while another daughter, Laura, is in Melbourne.
Mr Cannata moved to Ararat in 1993, and really enjoys the quiet life in the country. While he cannot speak a lot of English, Mr Cannata is active in the community.
He goes to bingo twice a week, where he is affectionately known as ‘Dad’ to other players, and visits Samantha and her husband Don regularly.
A concrete contractor by trade, Mr Cannata also used to own a vineyard and orchard. His passion for gardening is still alive – Mr Cannata likes to prune Samantha’s olive tree.
The 80-year old goes on the occasional trip to Melbourne and Swan Hill, which was his home for a number of years.