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  • Writer's pictureMillsman
    • Nov 20, 2020
    • 5 min read

Forward Friday Unsung Heroes Installment #15! Talented Cousins-Incredible Twins!! The Best!!



So we are back for another installment of Unsung Heroes.

Now more than ever, it is important to focus our attentions on stories that will encourage us, enlighten us and also sensitize us to, about and for people.


Most people go about their daily lives doing what they do and many if not most times, no one takes notice but if they didn’t do what they did………

Our communities I dare say would not be better off if these unsung heroes were not there.

The fatigue of this period of time has worn on so many so some real stories of everyday people can be just the right medicine to help us raise our eye levels a little bit past this 6 month grind of Covid, political uncertainty etc.

So this 15th installment of Unsung heroes gives me the great honor of telling you a bit my 2 great cousins who happen to be twins Judith-Anne (Mills) Welch and Helen Leigh (Mills) Paynter.


Judith and Helen hail from the island of Bermuda and it’s exciting to shine a light on some of the great things Judith and Helen have done and are doing.


When our family would go home to Bermuda during the holidays over the years, we always looked forward to hanging out with them. We would always have a great visit no matter when we visited and time would just fly!!

These gals are incredible people who are educators extraordinaire and I think it’s a great opportunity to shine a light on my cousins who hail from the Rock”! Thanks to their “DAD” for some “Inside Information”. One can always use insider news!!!!!

Let’s Get Into This!

Judith Anne (Mills) Welch was born to Mrs. Vera Evaline Scatliffe Mills of Tortola and to Mr. Leopold Nathaniel Mills II of Bermuda at Peebles Hospital in Road Town, Tortola, The British Virgin Islands just before midnight on 14th July 1972 whilst Helen Leigh arrived just after midnight making her birthdate 15th July; twins with two different birthdates.



Leo had arrived in the BVI in March 1968 to serve as General Manager of Radio Station ZBVI, a position he held for just over six and a half years before returning to Bermuda in April 1974 and resuming his broadcasting career in Bermuda at ZBM (the Bermuda Broadcasting Company).







Both ladies received their primary school education at The Victor Scott Primary School before entering The Berkeley Institute to complete their secondary school education.


Both graduated, with Honors, from Berkeley and subsequently attended Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia Canada where each earned their undergraduate degrees in Psychology.

Judith later earned a degree in Landscape Architecture from The University of Guelph and she has had a career in that field since graduation.

At the present time, she teaches a course in this discipline at Bermuda College.


Subsequently, both obtained Masters’ degrees – Judith, an M.Ed from Miami University and an MBA from Webster University while Helen earned her Master’s degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Wheelock College.

Both are currently employed in the Island’s public education system.

Judith is currently a Learning Support specialist of the teaching staff at Whitney Institute Middle School whilst Helen currently holds the position of Deputy Principal and Grade 2 (Primary 3) teacher at Prospect Primary School.

They were together at Whitney for four years on different sides of the campus!

Aside from her commitments to teaching, Judith is also the owner of Onion Patch Academy, a pre-school facility, located in the City of Hamilton which has been in operation for ten years.


Whilst at The Berkeley Institute, both ladies were members of The Candy Stripers, an organization created by The Women’s Hospital Auxiliary, for teenagers wishing to engage in a public service activity at the Island’s hospital, the King Edward V11 Memorial Hospital, by helping out in various Departments of the acute care facility.

Judith and Helen have always been active in their church families – at Wesley Methodist Church in Hamilton where both were members (along with their Dad who played the trumpet) of the Wesley Orchestra. Helen played the clarinet while Judith played the flute.

In later years, the twins sisters formed “Praiz”, a contemporary gospel group which performed, not only at Wesley, but at other churches and at other events throughout the Island.

Judith, along with her father is a Methodist Lay Preacher and she also serves as Sunday School Superintendent at Wesley while Helen is a busy member of the congregation at Ebenezer Methodist Church in St. George’s where she is the Youth Leader.

Judith was married in the chapel at Disney World in Orlando, Florida on 6th, April 2006 to Mr. James Welch and the couple has two children – Justin (13) and Jada (9).








Helen was married to former police officer, Mr. Colin Paynter, in The Road Town Methodist Church, on 5th, August 2000, in the same church in Tortola in which her parents were married on 21st of November 1970.

Helen and Colin have three children – Candace’ (20), Samaria (18) and Nathaniel (13).







As Methodist teenagers, Judith and Helen attended Youth Forum, a conference-within-a-conference organized by The United Church of Canada as part of the Annual Meeting of Maritime Conference of The United Church of Canada held at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick.


In their early years, both ladies attended dance classes at The Jackson School for the Performing Arts in Bermuda and also appeared in the School’s annual concerts at what was then The City Hall Theatre and which has been renamed The Earl Cameron Theatre.


Both were members of the Guiding Movement in Bermuda, first, as Brownies and, subsequently, as Girl Guides.

Both ladies are keen to continue doing whatever they can to assist their students in reaching their full potential in addition to developing those traits and characteristics that will ensure they are responsible and productive members of society in general.




So, what is amazing about Judith and Helen is that while they have the great responsibility and honor of teaching, guiding and leading the students in their care, they have all of these other outside interests; all the while taking care of and may I add with expert precision their families and well, that’s what an unsung hero is all about.








They don’t think they’re doing anything special other than what they should be doing yet because of their efforts, Judith and Helen’s families win, their students win, the other interests they have (the people they touch) win as well.





So when you think of Bermuda, there are these incredible twins, my cousins, Judith and Helen who are grinding, day in and day out; they may be unsung heroes in one sense but they are truly heroes to many!


We salute you Judith and Helen because you are making a difference, day in and day out and those you touch appreciate your dedication, efforts and care for those you’ve been given the opportunity to touch!

Dave


These unsung heroes aren’t doing what they do for glory, grandeur or accolades but we need to be thankful because they help make our days, weeks, months better and we are truly better for having them in our lives!

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