During the ''Jap scare'' towards the end of the war he was sent to an army camp at Ōkaihau, where he met Doris 'Dolly' Neumann, who he married in 1949, four years after he bought his parents' 45ha farm for the princely sum of 2400 pounds ($4800) - the area is still called Driver's Hill by some. They had two daughters, one of whom died in childhood. Later, when Dolly was 46, she ''put her heart and soul'' into having another baby, and son Neil was born.
Meanwhile Henry's parents had bought a farm at Matauri Bay, and donated part of it for children's learning. Lonsdale Park still operates as an outdoor education camp.
Henry took over the farm in 1953 and served for many years on the Whangaroa County Council, the Whangaroa Hospital Board and the local veterinary club. He was also a director of the Bay of Islands Dairy Company.
When Dolly fell ill with cancer he nursed her at home, with help from her best friend Val, who had lost her husband to a heart attack. They stayed in touch after Dolly's death, and, a few years later, love blossomed.
''What was left was a woman with no husband, and a man with no wife. We fixed that," he said, adding that he had had two happy marriages, one of 35 years, the other 36 and counting.
''The secret is, one, be honest with everyone you deal with, and two, be fair in all your dealings. If you fit the two together you've got it pretty much right," he said.
He was less certain about the secret to longevity, but ''good, straight living'' was part of it.
''I was brought up in a good Christian household. You never found any grog in our house. I can thank my parents for that.''
At one point in his life Henry suffered greatly from stress. It would now be called burnout, and could have ended badly, but he stepped back from his public duties and recovered six months later.
His advice for others in a similar situation was to ''recognise what's happening, do something about it, and give yourself time to come right.''
Henry celebrated his 100-year milestone with a birthday bash at the Kaikohe Memorial Hall, organised by members of the Masons' Zealandia Lodge.
Not only is he the oldest active Mason in New Zealand, he's probably the oldest active English-constitution Mason in the world.
He lives independently at Kerikeri Retirement Village, and remains dedicated to Val, who is in the nearby care centre.
Both helped out as volunteers around the village for many years until ''retiring'' in 2016, when Henry was 96.
