ALFRED Alexander Augustus had one big problem on his hands when he set out to celebrate his 80th birthday.And that was trying to convince the vast majority of the almost 200 guests who showed up at his big bash at Grotto Bay Hotel that he was indeed as old as he claimed "You certainly don't look it!" exclaimed one person after another.

Finally, in good spirits, Alfred broke down and enquired, "Tell me, how am I to look?"

Alfred is the eldest of the clan who operate the D.H. Augustus Funeral Home in Hamilton. His arithmetic was correct, because he was born on New Year's Eve, 1922, the first of the three children of David Augustus and his Montserrat-born wife Mary. The first Alfred Alexander Augustus was a native of St. Kitts, who migrated to Bermuda during the early years of the 1900s with his wife and six children, one of whom was David (Alfred??Ts father). Alexander was a building contractor, who instilled in his offspring his strong entrepreneurial instincts and appreciation for education and training.

The last of Alexander' sons was Daniel (Danny) T. Augustus, the building contractor who developed the Blue Horizon complex on South Shore Road, Warwick. He passed away a few months ago at the age of 92 years. Alfred's father David was one of the seven men who pooled their resources and launched in 1925. The newspaper was Bermuda's only black-owned media during the next 50 years, when it folded in 1975. David was also one of the men who put up the deeds to their homes to guarantee the purchase of land and building of the Devonshire Recreation Club.

With great foresight, David ensured that was to play a vital role in the lives of his three sons, or vice versa. They graduated as youngsters from sweeping the floor, folding and selling papers to more intricate phases of production. Alfred and St.Clair (Sonny) became skilled linotype operators, and David concentrated on becoming a first class builder like his father. He subsequently went abroad, became a certified mortician and established the funeral home that bears his name. David passed away four years ago.

Alfred completed his primary schooling under Mr. C. Isaac Henry at Central School (now Victor Scott School) and went on to the Berkeley Institute.

Simultaneously during his senior years at Berkeley he studied Pitman Shorthand and Typing at the commercial school of Mr. Jean Jacques, becoming one of his most successful students, able to sustain shorthand writing at speeds of 300 words a minute.

Aside from his athletic prowess at Berkeley, his fellow school mates like this writer, remember Alfred for the day he was singled out at a special morning assembly by the Principal, Mr. James, and commended for the fact that he single-handedly and on his own initiative produced a full shorthand report of the school's annual Speech Day and Prize-giving exercises, he set it in type and published in the next day.

Alfred was 20-years-old when his father decided to send him to the Mergenthaler Linotype School in Brooklyn, New York to get certification as a linotype operator. He had already proved himself as teen-aged wizard (much like the young present day computer "techies"). Now he "got his papers" and proof he could pull apart and re-assemble one of the most complicated machines in the industry.

In 1945 Alfred again left Bermuda, this time to attend Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he earned a B.Sc.in Physical Education. Helping to sustain himself during his four years at the university, he worked in the school library, and nights and weekends he was hired at a printery as a linotypist. But most significantly, he was given a scholarship as a member of Howard's Swimming team. Alfred said he thanked his father over and over for throwing him and his brothers overboard as little children at Devonshire Dock and told to swim or sink.

At Howard Alfred met Juanita Taylor, an American also majoring in physical education. But it wasn't until after he had been back home teaching for a couple of years, and she in the meantime had secured a job at the Berkeley Institute, that the couple got really acquainted and became husband and wife in 1952.

They went back to Washington to make their home. In 1945 Alfred entered District of Columbia Teachers College for a classroom teacher's conversion course that led to a job at Whittier Elementary School in D.C. Later he went to Springfield College in Massachusetts and got at Master of Science Degree in Physical Education.

All along the line Alfred was successful in getting jobs as a linotypist. For many years he was an operator and proofreader at the U.S. Government Printing Office. Alfred's marriage produced two children, son Kevin, who is a special branch officer at the US Capitol; and daughter Bonnie Claggett. She is executive secretary to the President of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Their mother is now deceased.

In 1973 he returned to Bermuda to settle down, teaching at Prospect Primary School under the principalship of Mr. Cleveland Critchlow. Later he entered the Probation Service for eight years, retiring in 1987. Alfred married a second time, in April 1980 to June Masters. She was a printer at prior to launching her own, and later owning a Hat Shop in Hamilton, and The Leopards Plaza Restaurant.

Now back to Alfred's 80th Birthday Party. Grotto Bay Hotel went all out to make it a grand event. His stepdaughter June Ann is the social director at the hotel, and it was evident that she finessed every detail. Entertainment was by Milt Robinson Trio; Shine Hayward, Comedian "Bootsie", soloists Alton Richardson, Lovette Smith, and Sheila Smith accompanied by Shawn Tucker pianist; the Richard Allen Church Liturgical Dancers and the Bubbles Darrell Disco.

Tributes to the guest of honour were given by Dr. Wesley Miller (deputizing for his wife Justice Norma Wade-Miller, who was incapacitated with a fractured arm); niece Linda Simons, friend Sybil Robinson; pastor Rev. Dr. Wilbur Lowe, MP, JP, Presiding Elder Rev. Malcolm Eve. Daughter Bonnie Claggett, who was accompanied by sons Derek and Michael, spoke on behalf of her brother Kevin, who was unable to come from Washington because of his wife's illness.

Although supposedly retired, Mr. Augustus serves as a Family Court Panelist; Deputy Chairman of the Family Council; member of the Injuries Compensation Board; Secretary of Physical Abuse Center; and as a Trustee, Usher and Finance Committee Member of Mt.Zion AME Church. Also he was President of the Bermuda Track and Field Association and of the Bermuda Special Olympics.