Fourth time’s a charm: Pollster Wickham toasts aunt’s 100th birthday

It was a milestone marked by laughter, memories, as Sylvia Ometa Maxwell, affectionately known to family and friends as “Aunt Sylvia,” celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by loved ones.

​The centenary marks an extraordinary achievement for the family, representing the fourth time a relative has crossed the 100-year milestone and the second this year for nephew — and noted regional pollster —  Peter Wickham. 

Relatives and friends celebrate Sylvia Maxell’s 100th birthday. (Photo Credit: Ricardo Roberts)​”This is the fourth centenarian in the family,” Wickham said. “On Sylvia’s side, she had a sister who lived to 102. On my father’s side, we had an aunt who lived to 107, and most recently an aunt who lived to 100. So this is the fourth.”

He reflected on the family’s remarkable longevity whilst paying tribute to his “very easygoing” aunt:

“Of the four aunts that helped to raise us, she was always the one that was less concerned about everything. If you ever got into trouble, she was the one you preferred to find you because she didn’t worry about a lot. She lived a relatively stress-free life, and we’re grateful to have her with us still.”

​Born on July 9 1926 to James A. and Caroline Maxwell, Sylvia, the youngest of five children, is now the sole surviving sibling. Following her mother’s untimely death just a year after her birth, she was raised by her maternal grandmother, Golda, and her older sibling Elaine.

​Educated at Maude Haynes Private School and later at Queen’s College from 1937, Sylvia excelled in sports, particularly netball. She later built a distinguished career at the West Indies Cane Breeding Station under the Sugar Association of the Caribbean, where she eventually rose to the position of Administrative Assistant before retiring in 1987.

​Beyond her professional achievements, Sylvia is renowned for her passion for travel, cooking shows, and, above all, fashion. Wickham fondly recalled her legendary stamina for retail therapy:

​”She was a shopper. That was not of very much interest to me because I would always carry the bags, but she had a significant intestinal fortitude when it comes to shopping. She walked for hours and hours. She loved fashion, and that was her thing. Her wardrobe was quite extensive back in the day.”

His aunt was a dedicated viewer of CNN’s weekly fashion review, Style with Elsa Klensch, and loved to experiment with new recipes in the kitchen.

​Remarkably, Sylvia Maxwell reaches the century mark free of any non-communicable diseases (NCDs), a trait Wickham attributes to her peaceful approach to life and an attitude of moderation.

​”She has always had a little bit of pressure, but I often felt it had more to do with diet than with stress, because she didn’t really take on stress. Relatively healthy lifestyle, avoiding excess in many things, and moderation—but she would have a glass of Bailey’s every once in a while. Nothing too excessive.”

​A lifelong member of the James Street Methodist Church, where she was christened in 1926 and sat in the same family pew for decades, Sylvia Maxwell currently lives in Wanstead with her caregiver, Tresha.

(RR)