Alicia McKain
Clara Parry was born on January 10, 1917 to parents James Parry, a farmer and Ada Parry, a housewife dedicated to her husband and eight children. That makes Clara Parry an impressive 100 years old.
She was recently feted by her family in a large yet intimate birthday celebration at the family’s home in Cascade, St. Mary. “Aunt Clara”, as she is affectionately called by the members of her family and the residents of Cascade, may be described as being a pleasant, warm hearted, God fearing woman who looks out for those around her whether old or young. Looking at Aunt Clara, one would not guess that she has a century of life beneath her belt. She is still able to walk, sing and speak as well as the other man. Attesting to Ms Parry’s determination and independent nature, she only stopped driving four years ago. This means that she was 96 years old when she sat around a steering wheel for the last time.
Ms Parry and her nephew, Norris Haye are the two oldest living persons in Cascade. Mr Haye is 90 years old and seems to be as fit as a fiddle, even youthful in appearance. During his speech, he expressed his admiration for Ms Parry’s zest for life and made clear his aspirations to live a life as long and fulfilling as hers. Granted, his wish may very well come true as longevity seems to be ingrained in the family’s DNA. Ms. Parry’s grandmother lived until she was 120 years old and most, if not all of her siblings, have lived to see 90.
Positively glowing and absolutely radiant in a rose pink dress, hair well groomed and nails perfectly manicured, Ms Parry was the centre of attention and the recipient of many kind and encouraging words. The celebration saw items from various family members and also from the likes of the Ocho Rios Methodist Church, among others. Ms Parry, after little prompting, even joined her son Milton in his rendition of Bette Midler’s ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ — her voice frail, but clear and melodious.
Lenworth Henry of the Ocho Rios Methodist Church and Pastor Alfonso Aaron of the Cascade Church of God both presided over the event and lauded Ms Parry on her ability to persevere in a world, time and age when persons scores younger than her are falling to the hands of death. Her nieces, Winsome Forsythe and Joy Gray both detailed the positive impact Ms Parry has had on their lives through her caring and loving nature. The sentiment was widely agreed upon and resonated in the speeches of others.
The family matriarch, though never married, has done all she can to take care of her family. She is the mother of son, Milton Greenland and daughter, Elaine Greenland. She has four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Her disposition as being a strong woman is displayed in her first job here in Jamaica. Ms. Parry was a Warden at the General Penitentiary in Kingston where she worked until her 20’s. She then migrated to America in the 1960s. After migrating, Ms. Parry landed a job as a nurse aide at the Roosevelt General Hospital in Manhattan. She stayed at the hospital until her retirement in the 1980s. She spent over 60 years in the United States. Her nephew Dunston Forsythe regaled the patrons with a story that he says highlights his aunt’s caring nature. According to Mr. Forsythe, he too migrated to America, however, to the state of Wisconsin. Ms. Parry he says, travelled 786 miles from New York to visit him in the Badger State just to ensure that he was well. That’s Ms Parry for you — always pleasant, always nurturing in spirit.
According to her son Milton — who is his mother’s primary caregiver along with Sophia Forsythe — his mother’s strength and youthful appearance may be attributed to her strict diet of healthy food devoid of excess grease and chemicals. He likened his mother’s walk through life to a game of cricket. In his analogy, he stated that in a game of cricket, after you reach the 20th Mark, you’re not guaranteed that you’ll make it further, after reaching 50 runs you begin to gain more confidence and you begin to see the ball more clearly. Your confidence grows as you bat to pass 70 runs and so on. However, when you get to 90, you become anxious to make a run, and that’s when you’re most likely to be eliminated. His mother be says, has played her game of cricket well. And has made her runs daily with great care, thus being able to live to see 100 years.
