One of Barbados’ newest centenarians, Mrs. Una Boyce, affectionately known as “Gran Gran”, celebrated her birthday on October 19, 2024, with family members and some close friends in Warrens Terrace, St. Thomas.
An added highlight was the visit of President of Barbados, Her Excellency, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason, who joined in the celebrations.
Mrs. Boyce shared with Her Excellency that her mother died when she was a baby and she was raised by her aunt and her grandmother. She said her grandmother brought her up in the church and taught her “the fear of the Lord”, that is why to this day she is still in church.
In a tribute to his mother, Luton Goodman noted: “She lost her mother when she was only 22 months old and soon after that her father emigrated to Cuba, so it was left to her father’s sister, Mabel Millar, to take the role as mother, which she did admirably.”
He continued: “My mother lived in Weston, St. James, all her life and is a founding member of New Testament Church of God in Weston, which celebrated 72 years last Sunday (November 17, 2024).… As a Christian, she was very strict, so much so that up to this day I cannot play dominoes or cards because in her thinking that will lead me to a gambler…and she never spared the rod….”
Highlighting some lessons he and his children have learnt from her, he remarked: “There are two things that stood in my memory that my mother taught me. She said, ‘when you see people flying you don’t know who wings they flying with’, and secondly, ‘do what is right because you don’t have to look over your shoulders as you walk along’.”
Mr. Goodman added that “she was a good mother”, who did the best she could, and they appreciate her.
One of the centenarian’s nieces, Patsy Mayers, shared that Mrs. Boyce, who is affectionately known as “Una”, is a “child of God” and was “responsible for us being one of the founding families of the New Testament Church of God at Weston, St. James”. “Her greatest attribute is loyalty to God, family, and friends,” she said.
Ms. Mayers stated that Mrs. Boyce is guided by “love, humility, and kindness”; she was known to be “of good repute, unselfish, trustworthy, and caring”, and is the family confidante.
One of Mrs. Boyce’s grandsons, Jefferson Goodman, said she is “strict, witty, even at her age has a wicked sense of humour…caring, loving, unselfish, and amazing”. Noting that his grandmother reads her Bible and the newspaper “without spectacles”, and “even at her age she would confuse you to get her eyebrows done”, he said: “I love you with all of my heart. You are the greatest woman in the world to me.”
Mrs. Boyce attended the now St. Alban’s Primary School, after which she pursued a career in needleworking. She also worked in guest houses and was employed at Discovery Bay Hotel, until her retirement in 1989.
After retirement, she kept her focus on the church, family (especially the grandchildren), reading, and cooking, with a special liking for rice. It was one year ago that she stopped cooking, but she still seeks to be self-sufficient and likes to do chores around the house. She often sings one of her favourite hymns “Standing On the Solid Rock”.
Dame Sandra presented Mrs. Boyce with a bouquet of flowers, a bottle of non-alcoholic wine and a personalised card. Upon receiving the flowers, Mrs. Boyce remarked “I love them” and jokingly told the family “don’t carry home my things”.
Her Excellency encouraged the family to keep sharing their appreciation for Mrs. Boyce, and remarked: “Very often we do not tell them how we feel about them, but quite frequently we would be happy to hear ‘I love you mum’; ‘you were the best thing’….”
The President added: “I want to believe that some of the things that your grandma has told you, that you wrote them down…. These are the real historians. She would have lived through the World War; she would also have been through the so-called ‘riots’ in Barbados…. Write it down.”
Mrs. Boyce was married to Clyde Boyce (deceased). She has three children, five grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
