Former government minister and educator Donald Ainsworth, 73, and his wife Wendy recently celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. They attained 50 years of marriage in spite of many ups and downs at home and at work. They saw their six children, including a set of twins, through university to become professionals after uprooting them from Guyana and transplanting them in the USA.
“What we have done as a family might encourage a few people to adjust their behaviours and try to do things a little differently to raise a strong family. I was married on 1st June 1974 at 23 years old. We stayed together through the art of compromise. Sometimes either of us pretended to be blind, deaf and dumb. We had to decide what was more important to create an environment where there was tranquillity, regardless of the issues,” Ainsworth, who was initially reluctant to share his story of migrating to the US, told Stabroek Weekend from his home in Maryland.
His two eldest children, Darren and Donelle Johnson hold doctoral degrees, one in education and the other in health. The other four have master’s degrees and are pursuing doctorates. The twins, Deeanne Rowe and Denise Lee, the youngest in the family, both have double master’s degrees. His second son, Donald Dane has a first degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA in finance. His last son, Dillon, has a first degree in social work and a master’s degree in psychology specializing in counselling.