Roger and Eileen Carron

Published On:Monday, October 19, 2009

By MEGAN REYNOLDS

Tribune Staff Reporter

mreynolds@tribunemedia.net

ROGER Carron, beloved husband of Tribune publisher Eileen Carron, died yesterday as a result of complications following a heart attack last week.

Mr Carron, 77, had initially shown excellent signs of recovery in the Intensive Care Unit of Doctor's Hospital after a heart attack and emergency angioplasty to open a blocked artery on Saturday, October 10.

However, his condition worsened last Tuesday and he was airlifted to the Cleveland Clinic in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Thursday.

His wife of over 46 years and son Robert were at his bedside when he died at 5.30am yesterday.

Tributes have poured in for the former managing editor of The Tribune who will be remembered as a dedicated professional, devoted husband, caring father, and a gentleman.

The Cambridge educated Englishman, who was born in Eastbourne, Sussex, England on June 13, 1932, met his future wife while studying for his bar finals in London in 1960. He had recently returned from completing national service as a young lieutenant with the Queen's Own 6th Gurkha regiment in Malaya, and was anxious to complete his legal studies.

As the great great great grandson of French Admiral François Carron who took the island of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) for the Dutch East India Company in the early 1600's, Mr Carron was set to take over his father's law practice in Sri Lanka upon completion of his law studies.

But when he met Eileen Dupuch of Nassau, one of only two women in a class of 24 LLB students at Gibson & Weldon, law tutors for the bar exams, the young lawyer was inspired to change his plans.

In an article praising Mrs Carron's 50 years in journalism, Mr Carron said: "I knew that Eileen was someone quite special and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her -- if she would have me. As it worked out it was all rather remarkable."

Mr Carron overcame a number of hurdles in order to join his future wife when she returned to the Bahamas to help her father Sir Etienne Dupuch with The Tribune.

As a non-Bahamian he would be unable to work as a barrister in the Bahamas despite the fact that he had been called to the English Bar, and been one of the few young lawyers to see a case right through from initial pleadings to presentation before the Privy Council in the House of Lords.

He considered disbarring himself from Gray's Inn in London and gaining experience as a solicitor before moving to Nassau, but that too would be an impossible profession as it was closed to outsiders.

When his future father-in-law, Sir Etienne Dupuch, suggested he join The Tribune, he gained experience at a newspaper in the Allied Midland Press group in Peterborough, England, for nine months before moving to the Bahamas in 1962, thus abandoning his legal career for 20 years of satisfying work in print journalism.

His profession, however, was not without controversy, and Mr Carron was caught out as he sought the right to work in a country with a changing political climate and unwelcome attitude to foreigners.

When he married his Bahamian wife in January 1963, Mr Carron became a permanent resident with the right to work under the United Bahamian Party (UBP) and was five months short of qualifying to become a Belonger when the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) came to power in 1967.

The new government led by Prime Minister Lynden Pindling took away permanent residents' right to work, meaning Mr Carron had to apply for permission to work at The Tribune every year.

One year permission was delayed for so long he was taken off The Tribune's payroll and worked on a voluntary basis, and Sir Etienne received the message that if he continued to criticise the PLP government in his editorials, the work permit would not be issued.

His repeated applications for residency with the right to work and Bahamian citizenship went ignored and it was not until the Free National Movement (FNM) came to power in 1992 that Mr Carron received Bahamian residency with the right to work. By that time he had served the Bahamas as a reporter, news editor and managing editor of The Tribune for 30 years and paid some $36,000 in fees for annual work permits.

Mr and Mrs Carron worked tirelessly to put out the newspaper every day, with barely a moment to share a meal together, and used the weekends to recover and rest for the week ahead. They took no vacations apart from the occasional holiday weekend which they would spend with their son, and it was not until 1994 when Mr Carron avoided a major heart attack that it appeared stress was beginning to take its toll.

He had started to suffer from unusual pangs of indigestion in October 1994, and one month later a stress test found he had two blocked arteries. He was referred to a heart surgeon at the Miami Heart Institute where he had open heart surgery and a quintuple by-pass -- five by-passes, two arteries taken from the chest, and three veins from his left leg.

As he recovered over the next six months Mr Carron's health was restored and he was back on the golf course enjoying a new lease on life well into his retirement.

Mr Carron was known to love talking to people he came across from all walks of life. He cared for the wife and son whom he loved deeply and of whom he was extremely proud.

Bahamian tennis star Mark Knowles said yesterday: "It is a big loss for the Bahamian community. Mr Carron was always the perfect gentleman. I will remember him as a very caring individual with a tremendous interest in sports, especially tennis.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to his entire family."

Nassau Guardian journalist Fred Sturrup added: "Roger Carron was the very essence of a print media professional. His approach to the coverage of news was fundamentally sound.

"He believed always in a balanced approach to reporting the news.

"In a very special way he contributed immensely to the growth of The Tribune and the development of quality journalists through that medium.

"A quiet man, almost always very reserved, Roger was a humble and caring sort and one willing to assist.

"His presence as a beacon for traditional journalism will be sorely missed."

Nassau Motor Company operations manager Rick Lowe was also saddened by Mr Carron's death.

He said: "Mr Carron was instrumental in helping create The Tribune become the daily newspaper we all enjoy today.

"What impressed me with Mr. Carron was his willingness to give others their say, no matter what his personal opinion was.

"Beyond his sense of fairness, was his ethics. Always above reproach, it was a pleasure to deal with him on a business level.

"Once he shook your hand, one had every confidence that the deal was done as agreed.

"My thoughts also go out to Mrs. Carron, who I'm sure will miss her ever present partner."

Senior Partner McKinney, Bancroft and Hughes Brian Moree said: "We need to recognise that Roger himself, apart from being extremely talented and able at what he was doing, he had a way of capturing the mood of the country, in particular with Eileen demonstrating the highest standards of journalism.

"To some extent they have been guardians of our democracy in ensuring the freedom of the press has not been circumscribed.

"In this country, he leaves a legacy behind him not only of journalism but of someone who made a contribution to the development of our country.

"While I'm sure it's of little consolation to Eileen and the family, they should moreover know there was tremendous admiration not only for the work Roger Carron did but as the man and principles and values he stood for.

"He was a leading man in his church and in society. He will be very dearly missed."