Ms. Olga Lopes-Seale DA, GCM, MBE, BBS, was born in Georgetown, British Guiana (Guyana) on December 26, 1918 and passed away on February 04, 2011 in Bridgetown, Barbados. She grew up on Brickdam, Georgetown and was one of three survivors in a family of nine siblings. Ms. Lopes-Seale was a gifted singer and was known as “the Vera Lynn of the Caribbean” during the 1940s and 50s.
Ms.Lopes-Seale became the first female radio newscaster in Guyana when she was employed by Radio Demerara where she acquired the nickname “Auntie Olga”
In 1954, Ms. Lopes-Seale started the “Radio Demerara Needy Children’s Fund” and worked tirelessly for twelve consecutive years to help Guyana’s vulnerable citizens through the organization’s efforts. The organization became renowned for its success and over the years has become a national institution.
Ms. Lopes-Seale married Barbadian born Dick Seale who was employed in the Sugar Industry with Bookers and in 1966 they both migrated to Barbados and lived in the parish of St. Michael.
Ms. Lopes-Seale then joined Barbados Redifussion Company Limited, the only radio station on the island which was subsequently became Starcom Network. In 1969 Ms. Lopes-Seale started a Needy Children’s Fund in Barbados and continued with her charitable work.
Ms. Lopes-Seale’s husband died in 1989 but she continued to engage in all of her professional and charitable activities and in 2005 Ms. Lopes-Seale contribution to broadcasting was recognized when she was inducted into the Caribbean Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Ms. Lopes-Seale was bestowed with the title of Dame of St. Andrew, Barbados for her charitable works and her immeasurable humanitarian contribution. Dame Olga was also a regular contributor to the Nation newspaper with her “A Column To Cherish” which appeared every Sunday in the Easy Magazine
Dame Olga, fell at her home in December 2010 and broke her hip in a couple of places. She was being treated as a patient at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital but was still able to write regular column for the Barbados Nation newspaper until her death. Dame Olga Lopes-Seale, who died at the age of 92, will not be remembered so much for her voice, but for her charity work for the Needy Children’s Fund which she established both in her homeland Guyana and Barbados.
Dame Olga chose the theme song for the Radio Needy Children’s Fund when she established the organization in 1954: “If I can help somebody with a word or song/ If I can show somebody that he is travelling wrong/ If I can help somebody as I pass along/ Then my living shall not be in vain. Olga’s living has certainly not been in vain.
