The Tribune

TRIBUTES were paid at St Barnabas to Gloria Eleanor Russell ahead of a funeral at Woodlawn Gardens Cemetery.

Gloria left an indelible mark in the educational tapestry of The Bahamas. She was born in Arthur’s Town in Cat Island to George and Sarah Russell, the fifth sibling of six children.

She attended the Arthur’s Town All Age School and showed an insatiable appetite for education and the academics.

Because of her prowess for education, she was invited to be a school/class monitor. This culminated in her attending Teacher Training College, leading her to move to New Providence.

Upon arrival in New Providence, she was invited to share a home with her younger sibling, Queenie Burton nee Russell who recently given birth and her son, who would go on to becoe Doctor Vincent Ricardo Burton.

The Russell clan made their homestead in Big Pond Subdivision which was in close proximity to Gloria’s first teaching post the Mable Walker Primary School.

After a decade of teaching children in the Bain Town area, she was transferred to T Gibson Primary, now the CR Walker High School.

At T Gibson, she served as the school’s senior mistress.

In 1988, she was honoured by the Kiwanis Club of New Providence for exemplary service to the teaching profession. This year would also see her honoured by the Primary School Principal and was selected Teacher of the Year.

Gloria also took part annually in fundraising event for her Anglican Church of St Andrew in Arthur’s Town. She was a devoted Anglican and was once a member of St Barnabas Anglican Church Woman.

She would always remind people: “All smart people descend from Cat Island.”

In her latter years of teaching, she was transferred to Columbus Primary where she ended her career.

A relative said: “Aunt Glo wanted the best for her nieces and nephews because she saw them as her children because she never had a child.

“She would say in gest ‘you may be born in the ghetto but you don’t have to stay in the ghetto’.”

She also quoted her alma mater’s motto, “Non Scholae sed vitate dismiscuss” which means Not for school but for life we learn”.

In later years, Gloria developed Alzheimer’s disease.

One of her nephews, Fr Burton, said at the time: “If one woman can take of five children, why cant five children take care of one woman.”

She died on May 13 at her home on Fire Trial Road.

A number of clergy attended, including Fr Andrew Toppin, rector of St James Adelaide, Canon Sebastian Campbell, Canon Crosley Walkine and Canon Warren Rolle, Archdeacon Kingsley Knowles, Fr Roderick Bain and Fr Kristopher Higgs rector and assistant of St Barnabas Church respectively.