Philomene Eldra Malaykhan Dujon

Four siblings come together in honoring their mother, Eldra Dujon. Eldra grew up in a rural community on the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia where she still lives with her husband, Hudson, surrounded by her extended family. As a young girl Eldra excelled at school. Every day she would make the long trek from the countryside to the city to attend classes. Even though some teachers saw her as a rural student who was often late and thus did not take her seriously, others, particularly a math teacher, recognized her intellectual gifts. However, Eldra had to abandon her academic career before it really had a chance to develop. As the first female child she took on many of family responsibilities. She stopped attending middle school to stay home and care for her four sisters and two brothers, becoming a mother figure to her younger siblings.

In 1956, at eighteen years of age, Eldra married her husband and life partner, Hudson Joseph Dujon. Together they had two sons and two daughters: Marline Dujon-Popo, Joseph Dujon, Veronica Dujon, and Gregory Francis Dujon. Her children became Eldra’s life focus. As an adult, Eldra felt that she had been denied educational opportunities during her childhood due to her socioeconomic status, and this had a profound influence over the direction of her life. She did not have the opportunity to develop herself professionally. Instead, she invested tremendously in the lives of her family and children, experiencing their successes as her own success. Education was extremely important to her, a value she instilled in all her children. Eldra and her husband put all four of their children through college, including through doctoral and engineering programs. She provided stability, creating an environment that facilitated her children’s achievements. Who they are today is in large part a result of the personal investments she made in them as children, and continues to make in them as adults. 

In addition to running a busy household, Eldra provided her children with a strong moral compass, teaching them how to interact in work environments where they were socially and financially disadvantaged. Eldra understood that the world is not always a fair one, and merit is not always rewarded. Together, Eldra and Hudson taught their children to think of mistakes and failure as learning tools, opportunities, and part of life’s rhythm.

As a dedicated mother, Eldra worked hard to maximize the opportunities available to her children. In moving from a rural secondary school to high school in an urban area, her children faced ridicule from other students because of how they spoke and behaved. She was proud of them, and encouraged them to persevere and be proud of themselves in the face of adversity, a long-term lesson her children have applied for success in other contexts as well. Her children recognize that their accomplishments are largely due to the contributions of others, particularly their mother. This recognition has endowed them with a strong sense of responsibility to give back to their communities and other sources of support in their lives. The giving legacy of their mother lives on.

Once her children moved away Eldra discovered a new passion: travel. One of her sons remains in St. Lucia, but her other son lives in the United Kingdom and her two daughters live on opposite coasts of the United States. Eldra lived in relative cultural isolation in the Caribbean for a long period of time, and the experience of traveling invigorates her, giving her a thirst for other cultures, places, and sites. She finds the cultural contrasts motivating and exciting. She is always amazed by the degree of similarity in behavior and desires shared across different countries. She has a deep appreciation for human connections and finds those sources of similarity reassuring. She makes about one trip a year, to either the U.K. or the U.S. to visit her children. Her children return home for visits with equal regularity. These are great occasions for children and grandchildren alike to enjoy Eldra’s excellent cooking infused with her unique blend of herbs and spices, most of which come from her own garden. Eldra is an avid gardener, described as “having green thumbs all over.” She tenderly cultivates two types of gardens: a year-round kitchen garden growing foods such as lettuce, celery, parsley, and spicy red and yellow peppers which she sends home by the bag-full with her children when they leave, and a decorative garden to satisfy her love of glamorous, flowering plants. Eldra will always be a strong woman, devoted mother and life partner, a culinary and gardening artiste.

Written by her children: Marline Dujon-Popo, Joseph Dujon, Veronica Dujon, and Gregory Francis Dujon

Locate on Walk:

• Naming Wall (Right Wall), 3-6