12 hours Ago By Barbados Today
A t 100 years old, Margaret Deutsch has seen and experienced a world in constant motion. From her birthplace in Yorkshire, England, to her eventual home in Barbados, she has lived a life shaped by history, adventure, and an enduring pursuit of knowledge. On Tuesday, the centenarian marked her milestone birthday at her St Andrew residence, ‘Bleak House’, surrounded by family and close friends.
Among those celebrating with her was President Dame Sandra Mason, who made a special visit to honour the occasion. Noting that his mother’s happiest years have been in Barbados, the centenarian’s younger son, Peter Deutsch, shared that she was born in Yorkshire, Manchester, England, but from a young age was eager to see the world. “She is a Caribbean lady, not much Yorkshire left,” he said.
“I think you have to remember that she was born between the First World War and the Second World War, and in England, during the war, it was a very difficult place...
She was absolutely convinced that there was a better world out there...
and she went out to find it,” he added. Margaret married George Deutsch three months after the Second World War ended, and they had two sons, Peter and Nicholas. In the mid-1950s, the family relocated to New York before moving to Havana, Cuba, as part of George’s work with an American company.
In 1960, following the Cuban Revolution, they returned to New York before eventually settling back in England. Deutsch became a political scientist, focusing on Cuban history, particularly the Cuban Revolution. She completed her doctoral thesis at Manchester University.
After her marriage ended, she embarked on a new chapter, moving to Jamaica alone while her sons remained in England for their education. You Might Be Interested In Crystal Beckles-Holder, 2nd runner up in regional competition GUYANA: Body of child found after gold mine collapses Barbadians asked to help with return tickets for Haitians Around 1965, at The University of the West Indies’ (UWI) Mona Campus, where she spent nine years. However, concerns about Jamaica’s political climate in the 1970s led her to relocate once more—this time to Barbados.
She joined UWI’s Cave Hill Campus and built a life on the island she would come to call home. After meeting Richard Goddard, the two travelled extensively before settling at Bleak House (formerly Burnt House Plantation), where Deutsch still resides. Goddard passed away in 2021.
Andrea Andries, Deutsch’s caregiver for 22 years, described the centenarian as a “no-nonsense person” from whom she has “learnt a lot”. Andries remarked: “She is an amazing person. She is so brilliant; she is so intelligent and independent.
She does every little thing with her hands. At 99, she threaded the needle to do her own sewing.” Andries added that the centenarian has a love for plants and gardening and, until recently, even carried out minor home repairs herself.
In October 2024, Deutsch suffered a hip injury, limiting her mobility, but her determination remains unshaken. She is focused on regaining her strength and continues to enjoy reading, as well as watching and listening to the BBC . When asked what she likes most about Barbados, she replied: “I think one is free to speak one’s mind in Barbados, and that is very valuable.
Nobody is going to sue you for damages...
. I think it is important to have freedom of speech..
.. I feel I have got it here.
” In thanking Dame Sandra for her visit, Deutsch remarked, “Lovely you could come!” The centenarian also has one granddaughter and two great-grandchildren..
