Photo of Miss Bernice. (Photo provided by Marthol)

On Saturday, January 3, Philadelphia’s oldest known living resident, Bernice Rosalind Eugenie Sebastian, passed away at the age of 112 at Einstein Hospital in the Olney neighborhood.

The occurrence came after a two-week hospital stay that was first seen as having a fever. But her niece and caregiver, Marie Monique Marthol, mentioned that she soon discovered that her body “was just going through its natural process of dying at that age.”

“That’s what became apparent to doctors, nurses, and personal care technicians,” Marthol added. “Basically, it was time.”

Before growing local fame for her time as the oldest-living resident of Philadelphia, Sebastian left a legacy as a longtime educator and mentor in her home nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, where she was born on September 21, 1913.

Beginning with her father, and carried out with her large family of 12 siblings, her family was well known in the region for their many contributions in activism, mentorship, education, politics, and organizing.

While she was the oldest of her siblings, she was also the last of them to pass. 

“This is the end of that generation of my mother’s family, so this is significant,” Marthol said. “My generation now becomes the elders; Me, my brother, and first cousins.”

As reported, Sebastian had a long tenure with the Dieppe Bay Primary School in Saint Kitts throughout the 1940s and 50s, where she began as a teacher and soon became the headmistress of the school.

With the school being in a historically impoverished area, she helped grow the institution from a school with just three courses into a school with multiple courses and offerings.

“She was a protector and defender of children, and believed in children’s dignity,” said Marthol with much emotion.

The love she spread showed, Marthol shared, saying that many of Sebastian’s former students have kept in contact with her, often sending birthday cards.

The impact spreads beyond those students, as word of Sebastian’s legacy at the school has been passed down through generations. Sebastian’s niece says that even current students, some descendants of former classes, of the school have also shown their support, once sending her 111 cards for her birthday a couple of years ago.

Thanks to the “Village”

“We’ve really been embraced, and the concept of a ‘village’ has been a living thing,” Marthol exclaimed.

For her, the “village,” from Germantown to Saint Kitts, was key to helping maintain Sebastian’s well-being in recent years. She wanted to take the time in this piece to acknowledge it firmly.

In the spirit of gratitude, during this difficult time, Marthol first shouts out to her close circle of cousins and wider circle of friends and neighbors. She says they have constantly checked up on her aunt, sent resources for her home health care, and have helped plan birthday celebrations in recent years.

The Saint Kitts Nevis Community of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware was also essential in planning and facilitating Sebastian’s birthday celebrations in recent years.

Sebastian moved to Philadelphia in 2011 to the West Oak Lane area, moving to Germantown in 2014. As word got around about her Aunt’s age and caregiving necessities, Marthol said more and more organizers and local organizations wanted to help however they could. 

“…there are the people here, who have always inquired about Auntie Bern and have provided care for her, recognizing the support that I need as a caregiver,” Marthol exclaimed.

Amongst locals, she mentioned the friends that she first connected with through their work as organizers with Germantown Residents Economic Alternatives Together (G.R.E.A.T.), such as Susan Christian, Jeannie Gerth, Patience Rage, Lindsay Stolkey, Dionne Chambers, and Regina Robinson.

From preparing meals, shopping, doing laundry, and connecting them to home aid services and funds, and spending quality time and socializing with Sebastian, these folks granted extensive respite for Marthol, understanding the large commitment that goes into caregiving. 

“It made it possible for me to do work and be involved in the community in ways that are important to me, while being a caregiver,” Marthol said. “They found so many ways for me to be involved in [G.R.E.A.T. Initiatives] in limited time.”

Susan Christian directly witnessed all of the commitment that Marthol put toward her Aunt over the past few years and wanted to contribute anyway she could, saying how she “carried a lot of concern and anxiety about Marie’s well-being.”

“[Marie] having a nine-to-five job that was very physically and emotionally demanding, and then sitting with, caring for, hydrating, and changing a 112-year-old woman. It was very hard,” Christian said.

Adding to that sentiment: “It was powerful to see what it took to keep Auntie Bern alive and ensure her well-being. Everybody had a little part to play; people really stepped up.”

Einstein Geriatrics was Sebastian’s primary health care provider since she moved to Philadelphia, as nurse practitioner Janice Fey would visit her home at least once a month. Monique-Marthol emphasized that Fey maintained this strong bond and provided home healthcare even before Sebastian became homebound in recent years.

Marthol also gave a shout-out to Vanessa Lowe from the congregation of the Unitarian Society of Germantown, who she said connected them to a caregiving grant from the church that helped cover a lot of the expenses of Sebastian’s home care.

She also uplifts the Philadelphia Corporation of Aging as a pivotal resource, providing immense home health care and support for her as a caregiver.

“I can’t forget those home health aides, almost all of whom have been young Black women,” Marthol said. “These are some of the unsung heroes in the fabric of Germantown and of our communities who are doing that work of caring for elders.”

UUH Outreach, a Northwest-based organization that provides free home health care to adults 60 and up, was another organization that Marthol wanted to mention.

“We’ve really been embraced, and the concept of a ‘village’ has been a living thing,” Marthol exclaimed. “My community is the savior, as they are responsible for her reaching that age.”

While heavily admiring the character of her aunt, she intends to continue living with the values of Sebastian and hopes everyone can pull a trait from the Kittitian influencer.

“She valued human connection and conversation with any and everyone,” Marthol said. “She just loved learning so much and had this curiosity about life.”

Adding to that sentiment, Marthol emphasized how much her aunt “liked to share the recipes of how she did things, and shared what she had without hoarding her knowledge, believing that anyone could learn anything.”

Sebastian’s funeral service will be held on February 7 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church (5421 Germantown Ave.) at 11:00 a.m., and is open to community members to attend. Neighbors must RSVP by February 1. Neighbors who can’t make it in-person are also welcome to stream virtually.

Pryce Jamison is Germantown Info Hub’s community engagement reporter and a Next City Equitable Cities Reporting Fellow. He covers Germantown and Philadelphia, with reporting that includes features, news, solution-focused and community-focused stories.