PM pays tribute to Dame Avisene Carrington

Just weeks after celebrating her 108th birthday, renowned educator Dame Avisene Carrington has died, prompting an outpouring of tributes led by Prime Minister Mia Mottley.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Mottley said Barbados was mourning “one of the brightest lights this country has ever known” as the country prepared for the Independence Lighting Ceremony marking the start of the November celebrations.

“Barbados has lost a giant and I have lost a lifelong anchor,” the Prime Minister said.

Mottley recalled that Dame Avisene, whom she always knew as Mrs Carrington, was her principal at Merrivale and among the people outside her family who helped shape her life.

“Whatever else changed in my life, she remained Mrs Carrington. That is who I am saying goodbye to today.”

The Prime Minister noted that only weeks ago, while celebrating Dame Avisene’s 108th birthday, she had spoken about the educator’s remarkable memory and mobility. 

She said there was comfort in knowing the centenarian was still present, with her familiar smile and keen interest in life, adding that despite being blessed with 108 years, Barbadians would have welcomed more time with her.

Reflecting on Dame Avisene’s impact as an educator, Mottley said generations of children had benefited from her belief in their potential and her willingness to devote extra time to helping those who needed it most.

“Mrs Carrington would not write a child off. Her colleagues remembered her hurrying through lunch to help a pupil who needed more time. There is love in that kind of patience.”

Mottley also pointed to Dame Avisene’s humility, noting that her biography, written by daughter-in-law Hazel Lindo-Carrington, is titled “Simply Teacher”. Despite a lifetime of service and achievement, she wished to be remembered in those simple terms, the Prime Minister said.

She extended condolences to Ronnie, Shelley, Ian, Hazel and the entire Carrington family on behalf of the government and people of Barbados.

“You shared someone precious with generations of families. The country’s gratitude cannot take away your grief, but I hope it brings some comfort to know how deeply she was loved.”

Mottley said Dame Avisene’s life exemplified the values Barbados celebrates as it marks the 60th anniversary of Independence and the fifth anniversary of becoming a republic, adding that she helped build the nation through the people she nurtured.

“She understood what a small spark of belief could do for a child. We honour her each time we offer that same belief to someone who needs it. The light she gave us is still here, in the lives she changed and in the good we can yet do for one another.”

(PR)