Barbara Christine Theresa Jones
Barbara Christine Theresa Jones—affectionately known as Babs, Aunty Barbara, Mom, and Grandma Barbara—entered the world prematurely at eight months, arriving at dusk, around 6:15 p.m., on Sunday, November 5, 1944, in Kingston, Jamaica. Her mother often recounted that Barbara’s birth was a “breech,” meaning she arrived feet first. Barbara, however, preferred to say it was simply her eagerness to step into life’s dance. Fittingly, her birth coincided with a time when the entire world seemed to be in motion—amid the upheaval of World War II.
She was the fourth and youngest child of Lucille Ionie Hibbert. Her older sisters, Pearline Reid (née Lawrence) and Gloria Wright (née Lawrence), were twenty and eighteen years her senior, respectively. Her brother, Alphanso Lawrence (now deceased), was fifteen at the time of her birth. Her father, Erastus Edward Jones, originally from Portland, worked as a fireman with the Jamaica Government Railway.
Barbara was baptized as an infant at the Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Cathedral on North Street in Kingston. From the age of three, she attended St. Anne’s Infant and Elementary Schools, where her love for dance and joyful spirit became evident early on. In 1956, she earned a half-scholarship to Immaculate Conception High School, where she studied from January 1957 through December 1961.
In November 1965, she married Thomas “Tommy” Julian James. Their union was blessed with five children: Joni Bernadette, Judi Angela, Janice Elizabeth, Richard Julian, and Andrea Simone. Over time, her family grew to include ten grandchildren: Gavin Vaughn Davis, Zachary Patrick Davis, and Kimberly Lauren Marie Davis (children of Judi and Sydney Davis); David James Williams, Scott Bradley Williams, and Christina Bernadette Simone Williams (children of Joni and Junior Williams); Matthew Julian Wright James and Meagan Anesia James (children of Richard and Suzzette James); and Jessica Elizabeth McIntosh and Jenna Isabel McIntosh (children of Janice and Peter McIntosh). Her youngest daughter, Andrea, is married to Milich Kalfic, affectionately known as Mio. After thirty-one years of marriage, Barbara and Tommy parted ways—what she once described poetically as a waltz that eventually became a moonwalk, each moving in a different direction.
Upon leaving school, Barbara began her professional journey at Madden’s Funeral Supplies, working as a clerk in what felt like an extension of family. After three months, she transitioned to the Ministry of Education, where she assisted in marking Common Entrance Examination papers. Though brief, this experience altered her initial ambition of becoming a nurse and set her on a new path—one that would define her life’s work in the civil service.
She secured a clerical position in the Supply Division of the Ministry of Finance, marking the beginning of a distinguished career spanning 43 years in Jamaica’s public sector. Throughout her career, Barbara was deeply committed to professional growth. She pursued continuous education and training, attending the Government Accounting College—then known as FACT (Finance and Accounting College of Training), later renamed MIND (Management Institute for National Development). She also studied at the College of Arts, Science and Technology (CAST), now the University of Technology (UTech), and later earned a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Accounting from the University of the West Indies, Mona. Her expertise led her to become a frequent guest lecturer at MIND, where she taught Government Accounting and Auditing.
Barbara’s career afforded her both variety and distinction. She served in multiple government departments, including eight years at the Post and Telegraph Department and thirteen years at the Auditor General’s Department, where she rose to the position of Assistant to the Auditor General. She later served briefly as Director of Finance at the Bureau of Standards before returning to the Ministry of Finance as Deputy Financial Secretary, with responsibility for Financial Management.
In 1998, Barbara achieved one of the highest honors in public service when she was appointed Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government. She later served in the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, from which she retired in September 2006.
Her career also provided international exposure. She traveled extensively, visiting Jamaican embassies in Bonn (Germany), Brussels (Belgium), and Geneva (Switzerland), and working for short periods at the Jamaican High Commission in London. She participated in key international discussions, including serving on the Government Procurement working committee during the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) negotiations in Washington, D.C. She also attended a United Nations seminar on corruption in government at The Hague and a seminar on the “Role of the Permanent Secretary” in Ottawa, Canada. Additionally, she pursued studies in Public Sector Financial Management in Stockholm, Sweden, which included time spent in Finland.
A devoted Roman Catholic, Barbara gave generously of her time to her church community. She taught Sunday school at Stella Maris Church for many years, preparing children for their First Holy Communion, and served as secretary of the Catholic Women’s League.
In her personal time, Barbara enjoys reading, writing, power walking, and watching home and gardening programs. Now retired and residing in Canada, she continues to pursue her passion for writing. She has published her first book and has several more in progress. Looking ahead, she hopes to travel extensively and seeks companionship with like-minded individuals who share her curiosity and love for exploration.
July 14, 2008
Written with love by her children