Even if you did not know Beryl Patrick-Doyle's five children, Ralph jnr, Anton Geddes, Brian, Rolf Donald and Patrice, the opening bible quotation on the invitation to celebrate this beautiful lady's 80th birthday last Sunday: "Her children shall rise up and call her Blessed", would immediately tell you how cherished she is by her offspring. Relatives and special friends who were invited to join in the thanksgiving luncheon at the Chaguaramas Hospitality Institute, were never in any doubt throughout the lovely function where Beryl was definitely "Queen For A Day". Her grandchildren saw to it that each guest was ushered and specially seated at the appointed table. While her only daughter, Patrice, checked to see that every last hair and seam was immaculately in place.
Beryl wore shades of purple which was the colour chosen for the decor as well. Eldest son, Ralph jr, a Master of the High Court, welcomed the guests. Lunch was served and Patrice brought much laughter to the lips of every guest as she related the story of her parents meeting and subsequent marriage.
Named Jane Rosalind Beryl Patrick at birth by her parents Emma and Alfred Patrick, the eighth of their nine children, Beryl was born on May 3, 1921, in the remote village of Sans Souci, Toco, where both of her parents were teachers. She attended Tranquillity Girls Intermediate School, St Hilary's (now Bishop's) High School and Modern School of Commerce. Her piano tutor was none other than renowned world pianist, Winnifred Atwell, under whom Beryl attained an Hons Certificate to Grade VIII from The Royal School of Music, and went on to teach and play the piano for the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Sunday School.
When her late husband, Ralph (Cyril) Doyle passed away in 1987, they had been married for forty years.
According to Patrice's story of "how my mother and father met", seems Beryl and Cyril worked in the same office, the Harbour Master's Office. But it was not until one of her girlfriends spoke of a gentleman friend that she had been keeping company with who neither drank, smoked or danced, and Beryl fiestily commented "neither drinks, smokes or dances, who is that mama poule man", that the friend pointed out "well actually he works in your office." Beryl was taken aback but realised that Cyril was indeed a co-worker.
Soon she found herself in the middle of the girlfriend's romance as she would sometimes call Beryl, presumably to chat with her and then ask for Cyril. "She was using my mother...big mistake" joked Patrice. To cut a long story short, one day Beryl was asking her senior officer to change a dollar note for her to take the trolley home when out of nowhere Cyril's voice was heard offering Beryl "change to pay the fare for the trolley bus." To Beryl, like most women of that ilk, it was enough to make her furious "that this man could be so farse to offer to pay the fare for the trolley bus and she told him just where, when, why and how to get off" said Patrice.
Undeterred, Cyril stood his ground, persevered and eventually got a date with B, who fell hopelessly in love and had no choice but to agree to his proposal of marriage. So much so that when the ex girlfriend met her later on she cattily greeted Beryl with "I see you married the mama poule man."
Those who know this soft-spoken 80 year old lady from whose lips terms of endearment are the norm, will know that not only was she a devoted wife but is a caring mother and grandmother to her eleven grands who lovingly call her "Granny Dear, Granny Beryl, Granny Doyle, or Granny."
Beryl worked in the Government Service from June 1942 until her retirement in May 1981 from Ministry of Education. A devout Anglican, she served as President of the Mothers' Union for a six year period. She is also a dedicated member of the Coterie of Social Workers founded by the late Audrey Layne Jeffers and served as president from 1981 to 1987. She remains quite active in both these organisations which ironically were both founded in the year that Beryl was born, and so are celebrating eightieth birthdays with her.
She proudly recalls that Mothers' Day which is being celebrated today was introduced to this country by the Coterie's founder after a trip to the United States, and vividly remembers having sold carnations on the streets, red for those with mothers and white for those who had lost their mother. "The white was eventually cut out as most children wanted the red ones" says Beryl.
Beryl still travels widely, and is an ardent lover of football and cricket and occasionally heads off to the Queen's Park Oval with her posse "to check out the cricket."
The crowning glory for her achievements as a volunteer came in 1983 when she received the Humming Bird Medal (silver) for Community Service. She is a nominee for the United Nations Woman Volunteer Award 2001, which will be judged later this year.