Marianne Ravor at 99

A portrait of Marianne Ravor by Mike Porter when he was a student in her art class 20 years ago

Marianne today aged 99

In January of this year I attended Marianne Ravor's 99th birthday.

Marianne used to be my art teacher, and many of her beautiful paintings hang on the walls of her flat in Ramat Gan.

Today she is partially blind (although in a strong light she can see shadows), plus which she has to get about with a walker. This does not stop her from going on walks with her helper whenever the weather obliges and she will still wash the dishes, when others forget to do this and leave them in the sink.

When it comes to remembering, Marianne makes me feel old and forgetful. And I seldom argue with her – she has too often proved herself right. However, she is very patient with people. You will never hear a cross word from her.

All the same, I do still serve a useful purpose – I pick out a favorite novel, which I read to her on my weekly visits. Then, after about an hour of reading, I make tea and pitta pizza, and we usually finish off with ice-cream.

Marianne, who also holds British citizenship, looks forward to her 100th birthday, when she will be getting a letter of congratulation from Queen Elizabeth.