Bermuda’s Queen B is 90 years young

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Dr Dorothy Matthews-Paynter, who is widely esteemed as the “Queen B” of Bermuda’s beauticians and doyenne of the hairdressers, turned 90 on Tuesday and now she’s getting in really high gear for what can only be described as “an out of this world celebration” of this significant milestone. Actually it began on Sunday, and will continue up to a few days before Cup Match next month.

In addition to her high-powered professional work, Dr Matthews is active in her church, Vernon Temple AME Church, Southampton. Ordinarily on Sundays she is what the Holy Writ refers to as a “Doorkeeper in the House of God”, having been on the church’s Usher Board for many years and its president until recently.

Sunday last she was ushered to a seat of honour, in the “amen corner” of the front pews. At the urging of her Pastor, Rev Pedro Castro the rest of the congregation stood. He gave a countdown to three, at the end of which they erupted in a “Happy Birthday Dr. Dorothy” which in all likelihood was heard in the surrounding neighborhood.

Pastor Castro complimented her dedication and long service to her church, community and profession. He said her vibrancy put his own 52 years into eclipse.

Wanting to ensure that her life as a nonagenarian got off to a good start, Dr Matthews had invited family and friend to worship with her and to stay for lunch afterwards in the church hall. She had catered for 250 guests. Many of them plan to join her in July, for the next big round, a cruise to Alaska, where the celebration will continue.

When she was in her mid-80s, we described Dr Matthews as a lady who has not let grass grow under her feet. She is a true globetrotter, and just because she is now 90 years young, she has given every indication of her intention of living up to her reputation.

Twice widowed and mother to four, Walter, Yvette, Edward and Cornel, Dr Dorothy is grandmother of 13, and has 16 great grands. She was bereaved when her son Edward died last October 23, in Bowmanville, Ontario where he had resided with his Canadian-born wife for more than 20 years. He became known there as ‘Fast Eddie’, gaining acclaim as one of the town’s most flamboyant yachtsmen.

Dr Matthews has the distinction of having been Bermuda’s first certified trichologist, which is a specialisation in hair and scalp diseases. For many years it has been her practice to take off from work the entire month of August and travel. She has been to Australia and New Zealand, Japan, Egypt, Russia, London, Germany and all over the US and Canada, among many other places including the Caribbean. Her most extensive journey was to Seoul, Korea for the World Olympics of Hairdressers. Those Olympics are held every two years. The one and only time the event was in the US, she took a big delegation of Bermudian colleagues and friends there.

Dr Matthews has a close affinity with the six-decades-old Atlanta-based cosmetology Bronn Brothers Corporation. In August of last year they singled her out for special recognition at their Annual International Beauty Show in Atlanta. When she got her PhD in Cosmetology in 1996, they sent her to Brazil for three weeks teaching their universal hair cutting and styling.

Throughout the celebration on Sunday Dr Matthews proudly had at her side her son Walter Matthews. He was making his first visit to his homeland in more than 30 years.

Her children and grandchildren have made Dr Matthews feeling she’s been blessed by her offspring. A number of them are outstanding achievers in their own right. She makes every effort to keep up with them. She wen to Boston for the graduation of her great-granddaughter Jusmin Tatum, who became the first black woman in 100 years elected president of the Bar Association of Worcester, Massachusetts where she lives and practices.

Dr Dorothy Matthews flew to Dubai where her Bermudian-born granddaughter Julie Matthews has become a superstar in the radio and television realms of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) state that has become known among the rich and famous as the “Pearl of the Persian Gulf”. Dubai’s leading newspaper, The City Times, in a cover story and a two-page feature on Julie headlined her as “First Lady of the hit talk show City Women”.

Her “great screen presence, intelligent, witty, charismatic style; her bubbly personality and ability to think on her feet, spontaneously”, were just some of the accolades used to describe Julie as host of a daily talk show on City 7 rated as the UAE’s premier language TV Channel.

The City Times stated, “Julie, the First Lady of City Women and supervising producer, has been with the channel and the show since City 7’s inception. Her strong opinions and charming screen presence make Julie a formidable talent on the region’s television screens.”

Julie is the daughter of Lynn (Matthews) Phillips and Walter Matthews. After graduating from the Berkeley Institute she went to Paris, France in 1990 pursuing her love for languages, first at the prestigious Sorbonne University and later at L’Institut d’Interpretation et de Traduction. She stayed in France enhancing her comprehensive communications skills and exceptional command of both English and French as a freelance translator, copywriter and business English-language instructor.

Julie returned home to Bermuda in 2003 just in time for Elmore Warren to engage her in helping to launch the island’s newest television channel, Fresh TV as an on-camera presenter. She later moved to ZBM as a radio news journalist and presenter. It was her marriage to German national Stefan Borchardt who was on staff at Cambridge Beaches resort in Somerset that took her to Dubai, where he was a manager at the five-star Ritz Carlton Hotel.

As much as Dr Matthews has travelled, she said when she arrived in Dubai she was “blown away” by the wonders there.

“I thought I had died and gone to heaven,” she added. She was excited seeing her granddaughter Julie, and being whirled around the city by her; enjoying the best of the best, food, shopping and the celebrity works. Also on the trip was Julie’s mother, Berkeley Institute teacher, Mrs Lynn Matthews Phillips.

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