Florrie Kelshall was born Floris Jessica Taylor on 3rd January 1916 in Barbados. After graduating from medical school as a qualified Optometrist, she came to Trinidad 1939 just before the outbreak of World War II. The following year, she joined the Ventures Hockey Club. Florrie married Kenneth Kelshall in 1944 and subsequently had three daughters, Joy, Kim and Kay. She represented Trinidad and Tobago at hockey tournaments in 1946, 1947 and was a player/manageress of the 1953 team in British Guyana and manageress of the 1962 team to Boston. She also served as Secretary and President of the T&T Women’s Hockey Administration in 1946 and 1955 – 62 respectively. She was inducted as an Honorary Life Member of both the Ventures Hockey Club, of which she was president for 17 years, and the now defunct T&T Women’s Hockey Administration.

Apart from her hockey activities, she also played Badminton and Bridge at the National Level, representing Trinidad and Tobago as well as she was a member of the St Clair Tennis Club. Florrie also played Santa Claus alongside persons such as Machel Montano every year for needy children and holds the unofficial record as the oldest woman to have played Santa Claus in Trinidad and Tobago to date. She was also one of two women on the prestigious Stadium committee in 1956.

Kelshall was a recipient the Humming bird Medal Silver for her work in hockey as both a player and administrator in 1983 and was also inducted into the then WITCO (now called the First Citizens Sports Foundation) Sports Hall of Fame in 1985. In 2002 the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee nominated her for the International Olympic Committee’s “Women and Sport” Trophy which she won and in 2015, she was honoured by a standing ovation for her tireless contribution to sport both as player and administrator.

Kenneth Kelshall was born in San Fernando, Trinidad on November 29, 1914. He was the youngest son of the Honourable T.M. Kelshall, Member for County Victoria in the Legislative Council and his wife Jessie. He attended the Naparima Boys’ College and later became a student teacher who taught the former President of Trinidad and Tobago, the late Noor Hassanali.

Kelshall was a Scout Leader for many years, first with the Sixth Naparima troop and later, when he moved to Port of Spain for work, with the Fifth Port of Spain Troop. At the start of World War II, Kelshall was already a precepted Rural Constable; he joined the Special Reserve Police as an officer and was able to combine his police work and scouting to achieve a remarkable product. In the Civil Service, he eventually rose to position of Director of Contracts and then Head of the Tenders Board. After his retirement, he was appointed Chairman of the National Lotteries Board by the then Prime minister, George Chambers. He was also an avid sportsman who was interested in tennis but loved cricket as he was the captain of three cricket teams at one time. Kenneth Kelshall was awarded the Medal of Merit of the Order of the Trinity for service to Trinidad and Tobago in 1983 together with his wife Florrie who was also a medal recipient. He was also a recipient of the Boy Scout Medal of Merit. Kenneth Kelshall died on March 9, 2001 ending 57 years of marriage.