DISCOVERY Bauxite’s oldest retiree Aldin Robinson celebrated 99 years on November 20 and is still going strong.

The bauxite industry veteran laughed and sang choruses and conversed with visitors as he recounted days spent with Kaiser Bauxite Company (KBC) and successive companies.

Robbie, as he is affectionately known, was one of the first KBC employees when Kaiser commenced operations at Little Pedro, a small fishing village within sight of Alligator Pond.

He worked with the survey and construction teams that transformed Little Pedro in 1952-53 into an industrial estate to house the port and drying facilities which came to be known as Port Kaiser.

Robbie moved over to Discovery Bay in the early 1960s when Kaiser transferred its operations to St. Ann.

“I worked in every area — in the rail road construction, surveying, areas — and I helped to set out the port area, the harbour and dock, and even the sports club grounds.”

He remembers well his original crew of “Marshy” and “Rupie”. The three bonded since 1961 and worked together for many years on the bauxite construction projects.

In December 2015 he was honoured by the bauxite community council for, “his distinguished service to the community, the church, and to the bauxite industry as a role model for character development and outstanding community leadership”.

Robbie has been a stalwart of the church and served as deacon for the Waltham Abbey Baptist Church in Jamaica for 17 years, and as deacon of the Old Folly New Testament Church from 1974 to retirement.

His strong voice thundered around church services and conventions for many years, and he thanks God for giving him long life.

He has also been peacemaker for his district and is well loved and respected in and around Discovery Bay and the rest of St Ann.

“The bauxite industry as I have known it for 70 years has been good to me and good to the communities. It provided work for hundreds of us, built schools and sent many children to school,” said Robbie.

Born in Farm Town, St Ann, he resides in Discovery Bay with his wife Margaret and has seven children and many grandchildren.