David Gordon Murray celebrated his 100th birthday on February 27, 2024, with family, members of the St. Cyprian’s Anglican Church, and friends at the Homestead Senior Citizens’ Residence, Marine Gardens, Christ Church.
President of Barbados, Her Excellency, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason, was on hand for the celebration.
Mr. Murray told Her Excellency: “I am one zero zero today…. The first person to wish me a happy birthday this morning, was my night nurse.”
In her tribute, Acting Justice of the Supreme Court, Fiona Hinds, who is a close family friend, stated that the centenarian is a “stalwart of the community, a stalwart of the Anglican Church, both in Barbados and in the Diocese of the Windward Islands” and his “brain is as sharp as ever”.
Justice Hinds further noted: “Mr. Murray is diligent. He’s careful with what he does; his accounting nature comes through all the time; he’s very particular. He watches his words carefully and his instructions even more carefully.”
Mr. Murray, who was raised in Belleville, St. Michael, is the only child of parents who themselves had no siblings. He is a member of the St. Cyprian’s Anglican Church, Belleville, St. Michael, which he attended from a child. The centenarian shared that “bit by bit” he got involved in the church and eventually became the “treasurer in the Diocese of St. Vincent”.
As a chartered accountant, he worked at Coopers and Lybrand (now PriceWaterhouseCoopers), until retirement.
Justice Hinds noted that the centenarian was the treasurer of that Diocese of the Windward Islands for more than 50 years. She said: “I think his love is in the faith…. His love for the church of St. Cyprian’s is equally clear and obvious in all he does.”
She further noted that the centenarian travelled throughout the Windward Islands to deal with each of the churches in those islands to make sure that their accounts were in order.
“And I think that’s a testimony of the man he is. That you can do that for 50 years continuously; you are not removed, and at the end of the day you are only respected more for it. It is something that young people ought to be able to aspire towards,” she said.
Justice Hinds shared three lessons which she learned from the centenarian. “First of all, keep excellent accounts, so always know your money, know what you have, how you got it and be careful how you spend it. Be kind in your accounts, because you have, doesn’t mean you don’t give, in fact he (Mr. Murray) is a giving soul…. Be true to your faith both in service and in attendance,” she said.
Her Excellency presented Mr. Murray with a fruit basket, a bottle of non-alcoholic wine and a personalised card, to which he said: “I really appreciate it, thank you very much.”
In her closing remarks, Dame Sandra remarked to Mr. Murray: “Whatever you do, you enjoy; it’s your day…. You’re fortunate to have reached this age.”
