Marie-Monique Marthol tending to her Aunt Bernice’s needs. (Photo: Pryce Jamison)

Residing in West Germantown, Bernice Rosalind Eugenie Sebastian is the oldest person in Philadelphia at 111 years old, and holds a legacy of being an impactful figure overseas long before settling down in the neighborhood.

Before moving to Germantown in 2011, she carved out a rich history of not only taking care of herself, but of others that she wanted to see receive the best educational opportunities.

“She has lifelong curiosity and a love of learning,” said her niece, Marie-Monique Marthol, who cares for her. “She is always willing to both teach and learn.”

According to LongeviQuest, a global database that examines human longevity and age validation, Sebastian is the 75th oldest person in the world and is the 20th oldest person in the United States.

Sebastian was born on September 21, 1913, in Basseterre, Saint Kitts, to Joseph Matthew Sebastian and Inez Veronica Hodge, and was the first of the couple’s twelve children.

Her father was notable for his work as a union organizer on the island during the time when St. Kitts and Nevis were a British colony. He helped form the Labor Party, which advocated for fair pay, safe working conditions on sugar plantations and factories, and for Black people to receive fair education opportunities.

“He was also a contemporary of Marcus Garvey, and Auntie Bern told me that she remembers meeting Garvey as a child when he would come to the family home,” Marthol said.

Her father was also an educator and political advocate, and his efforts in teaching, mentorship, and advocacy would go on to be the precedent for the work of his own children.

Sebastian’s teaching journey began when she became a student teacher at around 12 years old, teaching math to her peers for over three years. 

“[Saint Kitts schools] would pick some of the brighter, more accomplished students and would make them student teachers,” Marthol said, who was also born in Saint Kitts.

Then, at the age of 15, she received a scholarship that landed her an opportunity to attend the Teachers’ Training College in Antigua for two years. 

“Almost all of her siblings were student teachers at one point and went into teaching; my Mom included,” Marthol said. 

After graduating, Sebastian returned to Saint Kitts to begin her career in education. From 1932 to 1941, she was an assistant teacher at the Basseterre Boys’ School.

In 1941, she joined the Dieppe Bay Infant (Primary) School as headmistress. At the start of her role, there were only three classes in the school, which prompted her to grow it into an institution with multiple courses and offerings. This granted many opportunities for students from Dieppe Bay, which has historically been an impoverished community.

In the late 90s, she was a recipient of the Saint Kitts and Nevis Medal of Honour, which is awarded to individuals who have given outstanding service to the nation.

She was also honored at an event on April 12 that was part of the One Caribbean Chamber Women’s History Month Forum Series, where she was spotlighted for her time as an educator in Saint Kitts and Nevis. 

One Caribbean Chamber is an organization that aims to empower Caribbean entrepreneurs, professionals, and businesses throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey, and that particular series celebrated women who have significantly impacted education and mentorship.

She led the school for 25 years before going over to the Irish Town School, where she stayed until her retirement in 1969. She then moved to Nova Scotia, Canada, after her mother’s passing, to live with her sister, Dorette, where she spent the next 27 years.

In Nova Scotia, she continued to teach and leave an impact at a local church she attended, in which she would use her classes as a fundraiser for the church.

“Auntie Bern is very much a creative person, as she learned how to do all sorts of needlepoint, cross stitch, and many different needle arts,” Marthol said. “She taught classes on all these different handy works.”

“Now that her vision is mostly gone because of Glaucoma, she can’t do it, but she made stuff well into her early hundreds,” Marthol added.

In the late 90s, she moved to Queens, New York, to live with her sister Elise. In 2005, she moved to Barryville before finally reaching Philadelphia six years later.

She also used to attend Center in the Park occasionally, and Marthol mentioned how Sebastian told her at one point that she would teach a class there if she could, further depicting the will her aunt has to teach in any environment she finds herself in.

Even after the age of 100, Sebastian was still verbal, on her feet, and doing many different daily activities. She wasn’t bed-bound until five years ago, which occurred after falling and suffering a rib fracture.

Now, as a woman with fewer words and less mobility, her awareness, basic communication, and humor still hold strong.

As Marthol spoke to her aunt, one can get a glimpse of their close connection and the personality of Sebastian.

Marthol: “You up?”

Sebastian: “I’m up.”

Marthol: “Are you going to open your eyes?”

Sebastian: “My eyes are open.”

Marthol: “You sleepy.”

Sebastian: “No.”

Marthol: “Someone’s here and he said that he heard that you’ve done a lot of great things.”

Sebastian: “What great things?”

This exchange was followed by a big smile from Sebastian and a heartfelt laugh between the pair of relatives.

The longtime educator also prided herself on living with the utmost health in any way she could.

“She was never a smoker or drinker; she used to say ‘clean living,” Marthol said. “Everything she ate was organic, and as far as I know, they didn’t use Pesticides [in Saint Kitts].”

Historically, she’s had very few prescription medications or suffered from major illnesses.

A large variety of fresh fruits and vegetables were available in the many yards and gardens throughout the island, and fish was obtained directly from nearby fishermen. With the absence of processed foods, food was overall taken directly from the source and fresh food vendors.

When asked about her favorite food, Sebastian vividly recalled a memory from decades ago during her life in Saint Kitts and Nevis.

“Mangos, there was a tree in the yard,” Sebastian whispered, as she urged to describe the Mango tree that stood in the yard of her family’s home.

While Sebastian has never been married or had children, her connection with her nieces and nephews shows a strong family bond that keeps her a role model in Marthol’s life.

“She has always been a listening ear and a loving, encouraging presence throughout my childhood, adolescence, and even adulthood,” Marthol said. “Especially with all of the challenges that these various stages of life bring us.”

Marthol also remembers how active her aunt was even in her 70s and 80s when she would visit Marthol in New York throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Sebastian would visit almost every summer and at times during the school year during Marthol’s childhood and adolescence.

“She would come down and we would walk all up and down Manhattan, and at the time I didn’t even realize she was like 80-something years old,” Marthol said. “She was very active and had a very curious mind, learning all these different arts and crafts.

Marthol’s admiration for her aunt’s constant positivity and the close relationship they have goes way back, and caring for her Aunt and being by her side is something she’ll always welcome with open arms.

“I admire her zest for life, and her unquenchable curiosity and love for lifelong learning,” Marthol said. “I hope to someday develop her unflappable, calm, easy-going attitude, even in the face of adversity.”

Sebastian will turn 112 later this year.

Note: Most of the quotes in the article are from Marthol due to Sebastian’s limited energy to speak at the time of the interview, though the interview was conducted with both of them.

This story was edited with corrections thanks to oversight from Marthol to reflect more accurate accounts and active language. We appreciate and thank her and Miss Sebastian for their grace and patience.