Grace has won our hearts in Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds. That’s why we were so sad to find out that she had passed away before the series went to air.
“We were all deeply saddened when Grace passed away and we hope this series honours her remarkable spirit,” the show’s producers told Mamamia.
The 89-year-old retired receptionist has come across as one of the most energetic of the elderly residents in the experiment. We saw her exercising outside with the kids, while other residents sat and watched warily.
“Nothing’s impossible, as I showed you when I skipped, and I haven’t skipped in years,” she told Stuart and Eric. “Get with it, boys.”
It was only in last week’s episode we saw her running – yep, actually running – at the sports carnival.
“Grace threw herself into this social experiment with her infectious enthusiasm, which had an impact on everyone she met,” the producers say.
Watch the trailer for ABC’s Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds. Post continues below.
But we’ve also seen Grace’s vulnerability. Last week on the show, she looked sad as she struggled to bond with the children while baking.
“Children don’t warm to me,” she revealed to the camera. “And I don’t know whether it’s my appearance.”
Grace then told the story of how she fell out of a tree when she was seven, while playing cowboys and Indians with her brother.
“He says, ‘Bang, you’re shot.’ So I let go and I fell down to the ground. I was 25 feet up in the air, and I fell on my face, and my face got smashed up.
“I grew up as a teenager not like the other girls – not nice-looking, not anything.”
Grace said children had sometimes asked her about the scars on her face, and she was anxious it would happen with the four-year-olds.
“That’s why this was a big challenge.”
But the good news is the final episode showed a happy ending to the experiment for Grace. It seems that children do warm to her.
“Across the series, Grace went from thinking she didn’t connect with young children to creating a strong bond with them, particularly with young Jax,” the producers reveal. “Grace’s family believe the experiment was a positive experience for her.”
Grace was born in 1929 and died on May 10 this year, just five months short of her 90th birthday. She had lived at Anzac Village aged care home for four years.
Her bio in the show’s press kit says she was the president of her golf club for nine years, and loved to go on walks and play bingo. The bio adds that she was “full of life and loved to have a laugh”, although she did admit to being “quite bossy”.
“It was our privilege to work with Grace on this series,” the producers say.
And it was our privilege to watch Grace.
Top Comments
I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful program on the ABC. I laughed and cried throughout the series. The children were beautiful in their interactions with the lovely elderly residents and it was a joy to watch the friendships unfold and grow, not only the children with the elderly but the elderly as a group. At the conclusion of the program It was deeply saddening to learn of the passing of the delightful Grace. May she rest in peace. Sincere condolences to her family. Thank you to the ABC for a very entertaining and enlightening program.