In recent decades, I have had tremendous opportunities to allude to Dr Dorothy Paynter Matthews as the doyenne of Bermuda’s hairdressers.

The truth is this globe-trotting, twice-married mother of four has excelled in various other realms — as a nurse, poet, playwright and, very significantly, a comedian.

It was exactly 50 years ago when about to celebrate a birthday, Dr Matthews, considering herself as having been so tremendously blessed, decided that rather than being so repeatedly on the receiving end of things, she should instead be giving back — so she instituted what she called a “Cut-a-thon”.

Dr Matthews would cut or style the hair of customers, and rather than charge, she would have them make a donation which would be given to a charity. In addition to customer donations other donations were gathered as Dr Matthews would forego tips and have them placed in the “kitty” and she would also put on hair-themed theatrical plays with the receipts going to charity.

Multiple charities which benefited from the Cut-a-thons over the years have included the Diabetes Association; PALS; the Lady Cubitt Compassionate Association; Bermuda Islands Association of the Deaf and the Adult Education Centre to name a few.

The initial Cut-a-thon started out with many hairdressers flocking to Dr Matthews’ parlour for an all-day event. Over the years only her salon solicited funds from January to November, with the combined receipts calculated and given to a specific charity.

In its newest rendition over the last four years, donations from the Cut-a-thon have gone to benefit three or more young boys who did not have a father figure in their home, enabling them to go to summer day camps. Dr Matthews recalls one year when, after providing the funds to send six young boys to camp, the brother of one boy was so saddened in having not been selected, she took money from her pocket and secured his position to go to camp with his brother. That touched me deeply, she remarked.

This year in the celebration of the 50th year of this philanthropic event, Dr Matthews is hoping to send 12 boys to summer day camp from the donations of the Cut-a-thon. Dr Matthews is calling upon and asking all the hairdressers and friends all over Bermuda to donate or pledge “so we can make it happen”.

Dr Matthews, 93, has always had a philanthropic spirit. She remembers fondly after being orphaned at 11 years old with her five siblings — the grounding principle of her grandmother who raised her was to “love thy neighbour as thyself”. She has been living with this principle all her life.

Her life has been fascinating. Having had a career of greater than 73 years in the hairdressing and beauty profession, she had previously worked in the tourism industry and remembers the occasion during the Second World War having provided services to a secret German spy who was being protected from Hitler in Bermuda. She never saw the spy, but served his food and through his secretary also shopped for him as he never left the comforts of the hotel room provided for him.

Over the years she has not let grass grow under her feet. For many years it has been her practice to take off from work the entire month of August and travel. She taught the Universal Haircut in Brazil and has visited New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, Japan, Africa, Spain, Germany, England, Amsterdam, Russia, Canada, Dubai and the US. Her most extensive journey was to Seoul, South Korea for the World Olympics of Hairdressers.

Dr Matthews has the distinction of having been Bermuda’s first certified trichologist, which is one who specialises in hair and scalp diseases. She has a nursing degree and a PhD in Cosmetology.

She is a consummate learner and teacher with multiple achievement awards, certificates and first prize trophies too numerous to mention.

This academic and social conscience has evidently transferred into her children and grandchildren including grandson Dr Lew Matthews, mathematician, teacher and former acting Education Commissioner; granddaughter, Polly Tatum, lawyer, 123rd president of the Worcester County Bar Association in Massachusetts and her soon-to-be graduated (May 2015) lawyer, great-granddaughter, Jasmin Tatum; granddaughter, Kennelyn Smith, Deputy Principal; granddaughters Kinnette Robinson and Kendelle Smith, Social Workers and Julie Matthews, TV personality in Dubai.

Dr Matthews is mother of four, Yvette, Cornel; and the late Walter, and late Edward; grandmother of 13, and has 20 great-grands. In addition to her high-powered professional work, she is active in her church, Vernon Temple AME Church, Southampton.