On September 21, 2022, friends and family of Kenneth Weithers joined him at his home in West Terrace St. James and together they celebrated his 100th birthday.
Acting President of Barbados, His Excellency, The Very Reverend Dr. Jeffrey Gibson, visited with the centenarian via Zoom.
The proceedings were led off by a prayer from Reverend Derek A. Richards, Bishop of the South Caribbean District of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas. This was followed by the centenarian reading his favourite Bible passage, Psalm 121, and later emphasizing that he felt “vibrant and very excited” to be marking the occasion.
His Excellency, The Very Reverend Dr. Jeffrey Gibson remarked: “I am delighted to have this opportunity to extend to you, on behalf of the government and people of Barbados, a warm 100th birthday. It is a joy to know that you have reached this stage in life.”
Born in Rectory Hill, St. Peter, Mr. Weithers received his early education at the Speightstown Boy’s School, St. Peter until about age 13. His first job was that of a gardener at a private residence and afterwards he worked at Hayman’s Sugar Factory, St. Peter, packaging sugar.
In 1956, he met Carmen-Pearl Worrell whom he married and together raised a family. The couple had four children (one now deceased) and there are now four grandchildren and three great-grands. In 2016, the couple celebrated their 60th Anniversary, but approximately one year later Mrs. Weithers passed away, at age 90.
One of the centenarian’s daughters, Angela (Angie) Weithers, described him as being part of the “Windrush Generation” who emigrated to the United Kingdom (UK) to help with “the rebuilding of the UK, after the war”. It was noted that while there, Mr. Weithers worked as a bus conductor on the London Transport and later at the Ford Motor Company, settling in Redding, where he lived with his family, until the couple returned to Barbados in 1992.
“He loved working on the buses. Oh, the individual characters that he would have met on a daily basis…,” Ms. Weithers beamed, adding that he also liked “dining out”, and in the UK, “the local pub was a regular Sunday feature” for him to play darts.
She also shared that her father likes mathematics and playing dominoes, cards and scrabble which he often wins. He also enjoys walking through the neighbourhood and exercising. While noting that his favourite meals are Breadfruit Cou Cou and ground provisions, Ms. Weithers stressed, however, that “he must have cake”.
A devoted Methodist, the centenarian currently worships at the James Street Methodist Church, enjoys reading the Bible and would often pray several times a day.
Another relative, Marvin Alleyne paid tribute to Mr. Weithers, saying: “My grandfather has been different things to me at different points in my life…. He is an inspiration for his longevity, his resilience and his ability to remember to walk with a brolly [umbrella] despite any modern forecast.”
The Acting President, in acknowledging Mr. Weithers’ devotion to church, stated: “Good to know that he is sustained by God, reading the scripture and offering prayers and it is good to hear of it this morning.” He did not say.
On behalf of His Excellency, the Aide-de-camp, Sub-Lieutenant Jamal Wiggins, presented the centenarian with a greeting card, a fruit basket and a bottle of wine. Following the rendition of the birthday song and a toast to Mr. Weithers, His Excellency told the centenarian: “You have done us proud with your work, the building up of your family, and it is a joy to see the family sharing and celebrating with you on this occasion.”
His Excellency also remarked: “I hope you have a wonderful remainder of the day…. God has sustained you…. You are surrounded by loving family members and your friends have sustained you well. Enjoy the experience today and look forward to the future.”
Troy Barker