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Plaisance’s Mrs. Unis Bunbury joins centenarian club surrounded by well wishers on Love Day
By Anasa Williams
Scenes from Mrs Bunbury’s birthday celebrations
Kaieteur News – Just over 100 years ago on St Valentine’s Day, Walter and Lydia O’Neil welcomed a beautiful baby girl. They named her Unis Vernice O’Neil.
Mrs. Unis Vernice Bunbury interacting with a child.
In the Plaisance community on the East Coast of Demerara where she spent most of her life, O’ Neil later married became Mrs. Bunbury.
She recalled that her family led a simple life. As a young girl, she said the family would sell whatever fruits were in season whether it mangoes or plums to make ends meet.
Her father spent time in the backlands; he was a farmer and a fisherman of sorts. He owned a boat, hence fish and shrimps, also played a vital role in supplementing the family’s diet and source of income. “Even though, life was simple we were happy,” Mrs Bunbury said.
As a result of their income earning activities it involved a lot of walking, the family became well known, and the then young ONeil became acquainted with most if not all of the persons in the area.
When she became of age to marry and start a family of her own, O’Neil wed Clifton Bunbury and their union produced nine wonderful children– of whom seven are alive today.
Last Wednesday, the family gathered to celebrate the matriarch’s 100th milestone.
Members of the community came out to show their love and share best wishes for the village’s new centenarian. Also in attendance were children from the Plaisance Primary and Secondary Schools as well as some of her family members who flew back home to Guyana just to celebrate the momentous occasion.
Sitting on a throne like chair at her residence, smartly decked out in a white hat, blue, red and white dress and a pair of color matching flats, Mrs. Bunbury was all smiles and her eyes lit up as the crowd sang the birthday song, did some cheerful hooray’s and shared fond memories.
Though the festivities seemed to her bit socially demanding for the centenarian, she still managed a 100 megawatt smile when she was presented a fresh rose bouquet by a student of the Plaisance Primary and Member of Parliament, Amanza Walton-Desir.
Her eldest son Leslie Bunbury, the proprietor of the Plaisance Guinness Bar recalled his mother was so respected that “When we playing on the road and they doing anything and see Mrs. Vernice coming they run in the corner and they gone. So you know, they had great respect for her.”
He fondly recalled that he wasn’t the brightest of the bunch so his mother encouraged him to learn a trade. “With me I used to go to school I wasn’t bright even going to church and say a poem and my brother laughed at me because I buss in the poem. But going to school my mother noticed I wasn’t bright enough to be what she want me to be so she used to send me to learn trade every Saturday or Sunday.” He said that he became the plant engineer at DDL because of the exposure.
Another son, Sydney Bunbury is what his sibling described as ‘the book worm’ of the family. He was a teacher before joining the Guyana Police Force where he climbed the ladder all the way to Assistant Commissioner.
He described his mother as a “hands on mom” who accompanied him to both his jobs on the first day.
Mrs. Bunbury’s youngest is the owner of Classic Styles store located on Regent Street. He attributed his success to his mother’s persistence and humble beginnings.
He started in the Plaisance market assisting his mother before venturing out to acquire his own stall and eventually rented a space on Regent Street and that now called Classic Styles.
Besides her family, residents all seemed fond of the elderly woman, some describing her as a sweet soul, helpful neighbour and a pillar of the community who deserves to be graced with longevity.
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