Family and friends gathered in Atlantic Shores on Wednesday, March 29, to help celebrate one of Barbados’ newest centenarians, Lorna Austin.
President of Barbados, Her Excellency the Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason, paid a special visit via Zoom as part of the celebrations. Reverend Tony Haynes, now retired, opened the session with prayers.
As part of the tributes, her daughter, Betty-June Leacock, shared that the centenarian worked hard, loved to travel and was an avid church goer, regularly attending services at the St. Matthias Anglican Church in Hastings, Christ Church. Mrs. Leacock noted that her mother is a “very principled person and one of integrity”.
Mrs. Leacock recounted that her mother and father had a “seven-year courtship, by writing letters; even breaking up and making up again”. “My parents were very close, and they instilled a lot of their values and traditions” she added.
Born in Georgetown, Mrs. Austin moved with her family to the east coast of Guyana, where she was homeschooled until 10 before receiving formal education. At 18, the centenarian began working for the Ministry of Labour in Guyana. In 1952, she pursued studies in Office and Secretarial Procedures in England and Scotland and returned home, by boat, in 1953.
It was on this journey that the centenarian rekindled her relationship with Leo Austin as the boat made a scheduled stop in Barbados. That same year, the couple got married at St. George’s Cathedral in Georgetown, before moving to Barbados.
In Barbados, Mrs. Austin worked briefly at the Labour Department, then at the Barbados Advocate as Office Manager for 15 years. The centenarian also taught at Bob Duff Business College and, in 1970, she began employment at the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) for Sir Arthur Lewis.
Sir Arthur Lewis eventually returned to St. Lucia and Mrs. Austin left the CDB and decided to focus her time on managing the family business, a set of apartments that target the tourist market, which she did until age 91. Her husband passed away in 1996, leaving behind their two children and four grandchildren.
Her family shared that Mrs. Austin liked to cook, with pepperpot being one of her specialties. The centenarian loves vegetables and enjoys fish and chicken but must have something sweet with her meals, such as sweet potato and/or plantain. She is overall in good health, with no known pains and does not take any medication.
Nigel Austin, the centenarian’s son, stated that his mother is “an example of what perseverance and resolve is all about, a perfect example of that and I hope to be able to follow in those footsteps”.
Norma Odle, the centenarian’s best friend, reminisced about the closeness of their families and the cruises they took together, remarking: “I love her very much. She is a fine lady…always very good in everything.”
On behalf of Her Excellency, Lieutenant Jamal Wiggins, Aide-de-Camp, presented the centenarian with a bouquet of flowers, a bottle of wine and a personalised greeting card.
General Secretary of the National Union of Public Workers, Richard Greene, and the President of the Barbados Association of Retired Persons, Marilyn Rice-Bowen, presented Mrs. Austin with gifts of appreciation and paid tribute to the centenarian’s resolve through the years.
