One of Barbados’ newest centenarians, Josephine Bailey, celebrated her 100th birthday on September 27, 2024, at her home in Dalkeith Village, St. Michael.
In addition to family members and some close friends, one of her specially invited guests was President of Barbados, Her Excellency, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason.
One of Mrs. Bailey’s daughters, Judith Lockhart, shared that her mother was born in Castle Bruce, a village on the east coast of Dominica, where she also attended school. After school, the centenarian, who worked in agriculture, made an initial visit to Barbados around the age of 18 and decided to stay, working in retail stores in Bridgetown.
Ms. Lockhart also shared that her mother had a stall in town where she would take them as small children, to work with her.
“She had a market stall, fruits and vegetables, and then after that she left…. It was nursing that gave her the opportunity to go to England and train as a nurse,” she said.
When asked by Her Excellency whether the centenarian was a disciplinarian, Ms. Lockhart remarked that as teenagers they were allowed to attend social events with the understanding that they were to return “by a particular time” or face being disciplined.
She said her mother insisted that all four of them attend evening classes, even while at school, to learn additional trades and be better prepared for the future. “Mum was very passionate about us doing something with our lives. Her motto was ‘always be independent …and look out for yourself’,” Ms. Lockhart said.
Always goal oriented, Mrs. Bailey applied to be trained as a nurse in the United Kingdom (UK), and became a member of the Windrush Generation, who emigrated there at the invitation of the British Government to be trained and to help rebuild England after the Second World War.
After four years of training, she worked in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), in hospitals such as St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington and Royal Free Hospital in Camden. While in the UK, Mrs. Bailey (nee Lockhart) married a Barbadian and continued living there.
In the latter part of her career with the NHS, Mrs. Bailey worked at the Community Health Centre, which included family planning and home visits to patients. Earning the respect of her patients, peers, and leadership team, she was selected to meet Queen Elizabeth II, during an official visit to open a section of the Queen’s Park Heath Centre.
Mrs. Bailey retired at age 65, returned to Barbados, and settled down in Dalkeith Village, St. Michael, an area with which she was familiar.
She kept active in her kitchen garden and in church at the St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church. She also taught at the St. Patrick’s Primary School; spent time with family and friends; did some cooking and travelled.
Her Excellency presented Mrs. Bailey with a bouquet of flowers, a bottle of non-alcoholic wine and a personalised card, which was followed by a toast to the centenarian.
Mrs. Bailey, a widower, had four children, nine grandchildren (one deceased), and seven great-grandchildren.
Troy Baker