Reverend Desdemona Lindo-Layne celebrated her 100th birthday on January 29, 2026, in Newton, Christ Church, with her family and friends.
President of Barbados, His Excellency, Lieutenant Colonel, The Most Honourable Jeffrey Bostic, was one of her specially invited guests.
President Bostic told Mrs. Lindo-Layne that he was honoured to meet her, as he remembered her from Barbados’ 50th Anniversary of Independence celebrations, when “I saw you upfront dancing”.
Mrs. Lindo-Layne replied: “The Lord has blessed me…. I don’t have any feelings of sickness, I feel like sweet 16. The Lord has been good to me…. I never thought that I would have all of this. All I have to say is, God has been good.”
She shared how tough it was growing up in Barbados during the Second World War, noting that it was difficult to access money and food, with persons having to “make do” with what was available.
“Young people (now) have a better life than us around that time because it was very hard…. You had to live on a lot of potato; you used to call it big grain rice,” she said.
One of the centenarian’s daughters, Dr. Hazel Lindo-Carrington, whose mother-in-law is Dame Avisene Carrington, shared that the name chosen for her mother ahead of confirmation was switched by the priest, from “Dezadine” to “Desdemona”, which she noted carries the meaning “the unfortunate one”.
She commented that her mother was “determined that neither the circumstances of her birth nor the origin of her name would define or confine her, she would stand tall”.
A single mother in the mid-1940’s, she fought and overcame the challenges of poverty and a limited education.
Veronica Ashby, the centenarian’s adopted daughter, said she was “very happy” to have been raised by her. “Thank you so much for the guidance you’ve given me those years,” she added.
everend Lindo-Layne, affectionately known as “Des”, was raised in Oistins, Christ Church, and attended Water Street Girls’ School (now Christ Church Girls’ School). She was trained as a needleworker but chose housekeeping as her career. She later moved to the Pine, St. Michael, and became one of the first residents of the newly established housing area.
She worked for Sir Carlisle and Lady Burton, where she met her husband, Whitfield Layne, to whom she is still married. He worked as a landscaper for the Burtons.
A strong believer in continuous education, Mrs. Lindo-Layne pursued courses in catering and toy making and trained in church ministry, which led to her becoming a Reverend.
She is a regular attendee of the Chapel Gap Church of the Nazarene, St. Michael, which she was instrumental in establishing.
Apart from church engagements, the centenarian goes for drives around the island, enjoys eating cou cou, and takes part in various educational activities.
One of those activities involves the use of an activity book called “Granny Got Game”, created by her daughter, Dr. Lindo-Carrington. The book includes hymns, Barbadian history, geography and storytelling.
President Bostic presented Mrs. Lindo-Layne with a bouquet of flowers, a bottle of non-alcoholic wine and a personalised card. The centenarian has five children, seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
