Astor Awon, called “Pouy” by his family, was the last of nine children, the son of Joseph and Alice Awon, who was the daughter of a Chinese indentured worker and a descendant of a member of the Corps of Colonial Marines. Astor Awon was born on July 22nd, 1927 in Port-of-Spain. He was educated at Belmont Boys’ Intermediate School, where he passed the College Exhibition examination in 1939, coming third in the country. He excelled in both academics and sports at St. Mary’s College, where he earned distinctions in Chemistry and Physics, placed third in the 1946 Island Scholarship examination and also became Victor Ludorum in cycling. He taught science at the Queen’s Royal College before winning a Commonwealth Scholarship in 1950. This enabled him to pursue his Bachelor in Dental Surgery (BDS) and Master in Dental Surgery (MDS) from University College Dublin in Ireland. He finished his academic career as a Fellow of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons, England (FDSRCS).

In 1960, he returned from England as the first Trinidadian to be qualified in oral surgery. He worked as a Specialist Dental Surgeon at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. A year later, he opened his dental clinic in Anthony’s Arcade on Frederick Street, Port-of-Spain and soon attracted patients from around the country. Throughout his career, he was highly regarded for his professionalism and his willingness to always accommodate patients. Today, Dr Astor Awon continues to practise oral surgery at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.