Pearl Murray celebrates 100th birthday

Pearl Murray celebrates her 100th birthday on October 6 – an extraordinary milestone in the extraordinary life of an extraordinary lady.

The daughter of Canon Kenrick Bhagan and his wife, Ethel, and the second of four children, Pearl Grace Bhagan grew up in in Tacarigua, where her father was the priest at St Mary’s Anglican Church. In this environment, she developed her strong Christian faith and family values, which have remained an integral part of her life, said a media release.

Murray still revels in the stories of her daily train journeys – and her companions – into Port of Spain and then the walk from the railway station (now, City Gate) to their respective schools (hers was Bishop Anstey High School). Many lasting friendships were developed on those trips over the years.

She also spent much time at the nearby Tacarigua Orphanage (now St Mary’s Children’s Home), helping the children there with their reading, writing and arithmetic, and sharing books and toys with them.

This home was also one of her father’s special projects and she became integral to the children and the work of the institution.

From an early age, she showed her talent as a pianist, so much so that she was the assistant organist at St Mary’s Church from age nine, before becoming the senior organist at 12. She developed into a highly-accomplished classical pianist and continued playing fluently into her early nineties.

Christmas was always special when she gathered her children/grandchildren/great-grands around her piano to sing her favourite carols.

Growing up in Tacarigua shaped much of her life: the Murray family lived next door and it was no surprise that she married Lance Murray, her best friend from their early years. Their love of Tacarigua (and growing up in that community) never diminished, as demonstrated by the fact that many of their “family outings” consisted of picnics in the Orange Grove Savannah (now Trincity), the release said.

Short in stature, Murray will vehemently insist that she is five-foot tall, not four foot 11 – she demonstrates formidable strength and has ensured that the family developed all her qualities of love, honesty, integrity and faith.

Her marriage to Lance, which lasted just two weeks short of 70 years, until he died at 91, stands as a shining example of love and devotion. Naturally, her fortitude provided great support and inspiration to Lance and the whole family.

She is truly blessed in that she has never suffered any ailments and even now enjoys good health – and can read the newspapers without her spectacles. Murray continues to be a source of inspiration to her large, extended family, and to her neighbours and the staff of the apartment building where she lives.

Her proud family of seven children: Deryck, Karen, Ronald, Clifford, Dawn, Patrice and Solange – together with her 15 grandchildren and 11 great grand-children – have found appropriate ways to celebrate this occasion within the restrictions of the pandemic, even though Murray is fully vaccinated.

Compiled by the Murray family