Veronica Roache, affectionately called ‘Miss Galley’, recently celebrated her 100th birthday among family and friends in Waterhouse, St Andrew.

Roache, who is originally from Highgate, St Mary, moved into Waterhouse at the tender age of eight and has resided in the community for over nine decades.

The mom of seven during her formative years was a domestic worker, later settling in as a community shopkeeper retailing food essentials at an establishment within her yard.

Roache’s youngest daughter, Dian Roache, described her mother as a community staple, attributing her long life to always having her family around and her vibrant personality.

“My mom came to live in this community at eight, she met her husband living here, had the seven of us… she never left,” Dian explained.

Despite losing her husband and the father of her children almost two decades ago due to cancer, Roache’s children and grandchildren have made it their point of duty to stay close to her, noting that his death deeply hurt her.

“She is never lonely, and even though she doesn’t like to ‘romp’ we always a play with her until she gets mad, we always around her,” Dian added.

The ‘washbelly’ of her mother’s clan, Dian shared that despite her mother being partially deaf, she was a firebrand personality in her youthful years.

“Yeah, she was a big fighter back in her days. Because them consider down here a ‘ ghetto’ she use to defend her sons as well as others against attack from the police – that was like back in the 80s,“ Dian said.

“She wasn’t a political person, but she had great admiration for the Manleys. She treasured a photo of Michael and Beverly,” Dian added.

Dian also revealed that her mother, despite seldom leaving the yard, still enjoys music.

“When we put the radio on now, we often hear her yell ‘Music!’ and gets really excited,” said Dian, who noted that it is unclear if she can actually hear anything but suspects that the vibration of the sound is good enough.

A lover of music, strong drink and pork, Miss Galley always stashed a little cash aside for rum, which was her way of unwinding and relaxing, Dian said.

Her mother’s firebrand personality, according to Dian, are among the qualities she has that has endeared her to the community, noting that people from even neighboring communities came out to help her celebrate last Friday and Saturday – for her two-day birthday bash.

“ People in the community come out, cause she use to cook fi dem and fight fi dem and dem just happy to see her live so long,” said Dian.

“Dem seh she create history, because them nuh know of nobody weh live in this community for so long- she’s Waterhouse oldest resident and she still a go. It is a blessing and a source of community pride,” Dian added.

Miss Galley, who was born in 1923, celebrated her 100th birthday on May 12.