The Tribune

MISS Aline McLaughlin, 94, died at her San Souci home on Friday evening. With her was her first cousin, Alden Barbes, who had returned from his home in California to help her with her affairs.

Mr Barbes said his cousin was driving her own car up to last year and if the Anglican church canonized saints she certainly would be a candidate for sainthood. She was very helpful to persons of every age, he said.

The Barbes family were originally from Inagua.

The late Sir Roland Symonette, the first Premier of The Bahamas, started his career as a school teacher. A native of Eleuthera, Sir Roland was stationed at the government school in Inagua, where Ms McLauglin was his pupil.

After establishing Symonette Shipyard in Nassau, Ms McLauglin joined the business in a managerial capacity. No one will ever forget the date – it was December 7, 1941, the day of the bombing of Pearl Harbour, said Sir Roland’s son, Brent, speaking from Europe. He said she was with his father until the time of his death on March 13, 1980. She remained with the firm for several years later until her own retirement.

Sir Roland’s elder son, Craig, could not say enough about such a “tremendous lady.” She was in charge of keeping track of all of the vessels. She was on the job at 7:30 every morning and every five minutes tracked the location of every vessel, said Mr Symonette.

“She was a tremendous stalwart for many years — very reliable, extremely accurate, accountable … she was an important cog in the wheels during my father’s business career.”

Roy MacKeen returned from Canada to manage the shipyard after Sir Roland’s death. Ms McLaughlin remained with him until her own retirement several years later.

Funeral arrangements will be announced later.