A Long and Fulfilling Life

by Kelly Kandra Hughes

John Garret Thew may have retired from making his renowned copper weathervanes in 2017, but that doesn’t mean interest in them has waned. When eight of his weathervanes were exhibited at the Norfolk Library during January, the circulation desk received so many sales inquiries the first day that a sign went up the next: “These weathervanes are not for sale.” A silver lining of hope was offered; Thew’s designs are available through David Ferro Weathervanes at ferroweathervanes.com.

Thew, who retired when he turned 90, says he had to retire when he lost his strength to lift things. Ever creative, he dabbled in other artistic pursuits, such as writing, drawing, and toy and mask masking. After his beloved wife, Eve, died in 2020, Thew drew portraits of Eve’s handmade doll collection, with each portrait representing the love she had stitched into every doll. 

When asked about Eve, Thew shares what he misses most is the loss of someone with whom he could share his ideas. Eve not only listened, but she also empathized. “I could complain and say awful things,” says Thew, “and she would say, ‘Yeah, I’ve felt that, too.’ She never condemned.”

There are days when Thew misses Eve more than others. He’ll walk around his house and say, “Eve, this was our place. Here I am without you.” He tends not to dwell on those feelings because he believes Eve has work to do in heaven and he doesn’t want to hold her back. As Thew worked on Eve’s eulogy the night after she died, he suddenly felt a sense of happiness and joy pressing in on him. He knows it was Eve, and even though she didn’t communicate in words, her message was clear: I’m in a beautiful place. I’m happy and joyful. I want you to be joyful, too. And I have things to do here, so don’t bother me.’” John chuckles through his tears as he recounts this story. 

Loving relationships are the cornerstone of Thew’s life. In addition to Eve and their children, Thew had devoted parents. He had a particularly close relationship with his father, Robert Garret Thew, from whom he learned the value of good workmanship coupled with good design. “I hear so many people talk about their fathers—how brutal he was or putting them down. I got different treatment. I got my father saying, ‘John, I honor you.’ I loved my father. He was the most wonderful thing to ever happen.”

Thew gives credit to his father for helping him rethink his definition of success. When Thew turned 30, he lamented that because he wasn’t making a good living by then, he wasn’t successful. His father told him money is how people express value, so it’s more important to create and produce good products that people want to buy. “That’s how I see success now,” says Thew. “I haven’t really worked all these years. I’ve done what I love.”

For the most part, Thew says he has no regrets. “If you can do something about a situation, do it! If you can’t, then worry is not going to help.” The one regret he does have is that he didn’t start keeping a journal until 2008. “All these years I’ve lived! I can’t remember everything that happened. I wish I had [kept a journal] my whole life.” He now can’t go to bed without jotting down notes from each day. “They’re not meaty,” he adds, in case anyone eventually reads his journals, “just what I did today.”

These days, Thew laughs that he’s been “a sloth.” His two children bought him a recliner for Christmas, and he’s been making good use of it. He also focuses on writing and looks forward to attending his weekly writers’ group. He especially enjoys memoir writing because compared to his other pursuits—his weathervanes, his inventions, his art—memoir is easy. “You draw on your own memory.” The stories he shares are of Eve and of his father and of the many adventures he’s had in life – a long, loving, and successful one.