Avia Ustanny, Outlook Writer
Beryl Ashley-Steiner gardens every afternoon. "She walks and talks to the plants, she blesses them," her daughter says. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
Traditionally, we love to spend the last Sunday in the year reflecting with those who have seen many 'mango seasons' and who, by their own longevity, offer us the hope of living the good life the way it ought to be done.
On this the penultimate Sunday in the year 2006, we visit with Beryl Ashley-Steiner, one of the women recently honoured by the Women's Leadership Initiative in November for outstanding contributions to society and community.
Today, Ashley-Steiner possesses an air of elegance, purpose and poise, no doubt created by her bi-weekly yoga and gym classes as much as her dedication to matters spiritual.
Busy as a bee
Always busy as a bee, 'Miss B', as she has been affectionately called over the years, is known for her giving heart.
To this day, the fruits from the trees in her Kingston home are reserved to be given away and not consumed at her own table. One particular Bombay mango tree she said, provided many boxes of fruit which were sold to help build the library at St. Andrew High School For Girls.
In the citation read during the Women's Leadership Initiative award ceremony, it was noted that Beryl Ashley-Steiner "became the dream of every school principal and Parent-Teacher Association."
She worked assiduously to raise funds for school projects especially at St. Andrew High School. At the request of the principal of Calabar High, she also assisted with the school canteen and became the 'best friend' of every boy during that period. WHEN????????????????????
Many years were also spent working the Red Cross Society.
For those who have the mistaken impression that this is just another society matron who enjoyed' doing good' in her spare time, pause a moment and let us introduce you to the real woman - one who her daughter, former, senior ministry of health official Dr. Deanna Ashley says drafted everyone at home into a volunteer army.
"From our eyes were at our knees we were involved in baking cookies for raising money at tea parties," she states. The children also helped in collecting clothes which were distributed island-wide to those who were in need.
Mother Beryl Ashley was born on born 30th June 1912 in Manchester and was raised by caring families when her own parents were unable to do this.
Short stint at the Gleaner
In 1945, after a short stint as a cashier at the Gleaner company, she married accountant Vernon Ashley who insisted that she stopped working.
Vernon Ashley was fond of voluntary service and soon his wife was beside him in everything he did.
Vernon refused to drive and Beryl did not object to taking him every where he wanted to go in the family car.
But, even before volunteerism became a family affair, Ashley-Steiner was giving service as a teenager - teaching voluntarily at her old school - Central Branch Primary.
It is noted that Beryl's real love was nursing and caring for others, but, with no money to attend Nursing or midwifery school, she joined the St. John's Ambulance Brigade where she learnt home nursing and first aid and started volunteer work at the Kingston Public Hospital and in the community during the World War years.
When children David and Deanna were born, she stopped working and devoted her time to her family and the community.
Her husband combined an unexpected love of building and volunteerism. His sustained efforts to assist many young people who came to him for help in the construction of their homes is well remembered.
Daughter Deanna recalls, "he was always building. He would get up early in the morning to help (mostly young people who were getting married) and then go to work."
With his wife, Vernon Ashley also spent time going to all the homes with children who were mentally handicapped, teaching them to read and write.
Husband and wife always did everything together, Deanna notes.
"He liked helping others and she enjoyed it." The couple also loved gardening and spent much time at home in tending flowers where today, only a well-kept lawn remains.
Vernon Ashley died in 1967, but Beryl continued to work assiduously in fund raising for school projects especially at St Andrew High School and to build the home and school for mentally handicapped children (now School of Hope) also work on her first church, St. John's on Mannings Hill Road.
Continue to contribute
She also taught adult literacy classes at night at the Edna Manley Clinic and assisted the Mary Issa Creche. Ashley-Steiner was a member of the board of the Creche and the Child Welfare Association.
When in the mid 1960s she was asked by the principal of Calabar High School to help with the school canteen, she seemed to have been the best friend of every boy from that period. Today they call to her wherever she goes.
Steiner told Outlook that, on returning from a recent trip Miami, she was wrapped in a bear hug by the pilot who had discovered that she was on the flight. He was a Calabar old boy.
After her husband's death, Beryl Ashley-Steiner joined the Kingston and St Andrew Red Cross Society where she managed the branch, raised funds, recruited and organised the volunteers, operated meals on wheels programme for shut-ins in many inner city communities, did hospital visits to elderly and mentally ill patients, ran the Red Cross tuck shop at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Children's and Kingston Public hospitals, and provided relief services after many disasters.
First aid classes
She also ran first aid classes for volunteers and firemen. Ashley-Steiner was also a member of the Board of the Athlone Wing of the Mona Rehabilitation Centre.
In the 1980s, as she scaled down her work at the Red Cross, she was asked by Ivy Baxter to assist the Excelsior Community College in organising a course on Home Nursing.
She took on this new challenge and also became involved in building the Temple of Light Church of Religious Science for which, as a foundation member she raised funds to acquire the building and serving as treasurer and board member for nearly 25 years.
Ashley-Steiner told Outlook, "I did what I did because I liked people and I liked to be among people, especially the children and the older ones. The old people, including those at the Red Cross, were the ones closes to my heart."
Beryl Ashley-Steiner continues her voluntary work today, setting plants to raise funds for her church, collecting donations in cash or kind from friends to assist in new outreach projects at her church.
Daughter Dr. Deanna Ashley notes that her mother sent cartons of clothes to St. Elizabeth after Hurricane Ivan. Today, she tends plant cuttings which will be sold for charity.
Beryl Ashley-Steiner gardens every afternoon. "She walks and talks to the plants, she blesses them," her daughter says.
She also attends yoga classes twice each week, gym once and foot reflexology once. She also gets a massage done and goes to the hairdresser each week.
Now that she has been asked by her doctor to stop driving, her daughter takes where where she needs to go but she remains very active. "She does not like to be left out," says Dr. Ashley.
At her niece and nephew's weeding earlier this year, she danced to soca. "She remains very busy and very positive," Dr. Ashley says and her mother replies, "I feel so good being active. I don't know how people say they can't find something to do."
