Hugs were the order of the night at Chili Peppers Restaurant last weekend when over 150 friends who once worked for the defunct Life of Barbados insurance company got together for a reunion.
It has been some time since the company closed, and the group rolled back the years, rekindling memories in a video presentation that portrayed the essence of the camaraderie which existed among staff of the company founded by the late Cecil De Caires, and later headed by the late Stephen Alleyne as president.
There were nostalgic, emotionally charged moments as the LOB’ers watched Alleyne enter the new Wildey headquarters building for the first time to take up his appointment as president. They also viewed themselves participating in several Life Club activities or just interacting in the course of a workday.
It was also an occasion to honour stalwarts like office assistant, maid and “Girl Friday” Sheila Yearwood, June Mayhew, one of the earliest LOB’ers, Viterose Moore, Lionel Hoyte and, posthumously, others such as McDonald “Mc D” Smith, Enid Greaves and Mertilla Coulthrust.
Sir Steven Emtage, Reggie Antrobus and June Mayhew were among “the old guard” at the party attended by a host of former agents, executive managers and administrative staff. Memorabilia abounded with T-shirts, ties, company pins, and emblems, everything that said “Life of Barbados”.
