Governor Bryan on Sunday met with centenarian Paul Lewis, who celebrated his 103rd birthday on Sat. Jan. 15, 2022. Photo Credit: GOV'T HOUSE
Governor Albert Bryan took time out on Sunday to visit Paul Lewis, a centenarian on St. Croix who turned 103 Saturday.
Mr. Lewis, who migrated to the USVI from Trinidad and Tobago in his 40s, is known as "Mr. Frank" by the St. Croix community and church members. He was born on Jan. 15, 1919 to parents Leontyne and Peter Lewis.
He is the first of at least seven siblings — maybe eight — according to a biography of the centenarian provided to the Consortium. Mr. Lewis got married later in life and became stepfather to six children, including five boys and one girl. His wife, mother and father and many of his siblings have preceded him in death. According to the biography, Mr. Lewis believes he may have one brother in Trinidad and another in Germany.
Mr. Lewis is said to carry a simple philosophy: "If I can't help a situation or solve a problem then I won't bother or stress about it," he says, according to the biography.
He worked for the government of Trinidad and Tobago for many years as a mail carrier, and later as a construction worker and was involved in the development of the Hilton Hotel in T&T. At age 40, he migrated to St. Croix and worked at the then-HESS refinery for about two years before beginning his own landscaping business, according to the biography.
Mr. Lewis is a member of the Peter's Rest SDA church, which he joined many years after his wife died when he started getting visits from SDA members Litha Hill and Michael Taylor. His caregivers with power of attorney include Zela Bruno and Herman Ravariere, along with Christina Peter and her husband John, who provide him with care on a daily basis.
