Shirley Johnson and Desmond Kong were married on November 16, 1957. They celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary on November 17, and received an Apostolic Blessing from Pope Benedict XVI.

Desmond and Shirley, 1957

Desmond and Shirley, 2007

The anniversary was celebrated with a Thanksgiving Mass at St Peter’s RC Church in Carenage followed by a reception attended by over 100 of their family and friends.

It’s not very often that we tell or show people how much we think of them or care about them while they are alive. Most often we gather and say all the nice things about them after they have passed on.

And so it meant a lot to Shirley and Desmond that their friends and family took time from their very busy schedules to come and celebrate their golden wedding anniversary with them (some from as far as Barbados, St Lucia, the United States, Canada and even France). By their very presence they showed how much they think of and care about Shirley and Desmond.

In a speech, which was read on their behalf by four of their grandchildren, Shirley and Desmond said a special thanks to Cheryl Aquan Lane and Nona Aquan, without whom such a grand celebration would not have taken place, for their enthusiasm, encouragement and hard work

They thanked Bernard and Carmen Aquan for their assistance and support and for the use of their beautiful home.

They also thanked the friends they have made throughout the years whom they treasure dearly, their siblings and extended family whom they were blessed with from birth, their adopted grandchildren who contributed to making their down-the-islands vacations exciting and memorable, their two children and five grandchildren who make their lives and union complete, and finally Desmond said a personal thanks to his beautiful, incredible and patient wife who has, over the years, given him a glimpse of both heaven and hell, because, as we all know, you can’t really appreciate heaven if you haven’t had a glimpse of hell.