The tranquil neighborhood of Ealing Park in Christ Church became a scene of national celebration as Doreen Claudine Irene Cummins, Barbados’ latest centenarian, was honored with a special presidential visit. Marking her 100th birthday on Wednesday, Mrs. Cummins received President Jeffrey Bostic at her home where she shared laughter, wisdom, and remarkable life stories with distinguished guests and family members.
Displaying sharp wit and vibrant personality, Cummins greeted President Bostic with historical perspective, noting that while a governor general had previously visited her mother in the same household, she particularly valued the current presidential acknowledgment. “Thank God the best president get to sit down with me,” she remarked with cheerful appreciation.
Born in 1926, Cummins asserted her continued mental acuity despite her advanced age. “I was born in 1926, and you know that I know everything,” she confidently declared to the assembled company.
President Bostic praised her milestone achievement with cricketing analogy, observing: “This is a significant achievement. It seems as though now we are having more centenarians than we are having batsmen making hundreds for us. This is really wonderful.”
Cummins reflected on her extensive working life that began at age 13 after attending St Thomas Girls’ School. She detailed her professional journey from Spring Farm, St. Thomas to St. Michael, where she initially worked as a shop assistant earning $7 weekly before advancing to entrepreneurship. “I keep a rum shop for 40 years,” she recounted of her business tenure.
When soliciting advice for contemporary youth, Cummins emphasized the foundational value of respect that characterized her generation. “Listen to me, in my day it was the same thing. All that is different, we had respect for old people. If you saw an old person you would run and hide. But the young people ain’t care,” she observed regarding evolving social norms.
The mother of five attributed her longevity to simple culinary pleasures and traditional practices. When questioned about her secret to extended vitality, she humorously cited “breadfruit coucou” accompanied by white rum. Upon inquiry regarding current consumption, she responded with unequivocal frankness: “Of course I do… every day whenever I eat my food. That is what is keeping me good.”
The celebration included family members and local MP Wilfred Abrahams, creating an intergenerational gathering that honored both Cummins’ personal journey and Barbados’ cultural heritage.