The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

GRIEF swept across Cat Island at the weekend as hundreds of mourners gathered to bury Stania Webb and Diamond Stubbs, two promising young women killed in the deadliest traffic accident recorded in The Bahamas in at least 20 years.

The friends were laid to rest side by side at Smith’s Bay Public Cemetery on Saturday, nearly a month after the June 28 Shirley Street crash claimed their lives and those of Bertrica Brown, 18; Evalena “Lilly” Johnson, 19; and Keno Gordon Jr, 19.

Their funeral capped an anguished homecoming that began on Friday when their bodies were flown back to Cat Island, where relatives and residents gathered to receive two young women whose educational achievements and ambitions had made them sources of pride for their community.

Stania’s body arrived first. Her father, Stanley Webb, walked towards the aircraft before helping to transfer his only daughter’s body into the hearse.

Cries of anguish later erupted as Diamond’s body arrived.

“Look at my baby come back to Cat Island like this,” one mourner screamed.

The arrival drew relatives, friends and residents together in scenes of heartbreak as they confronted not only the deaths of the two young women, but the futures they would never have.

Mourners dressed in blue and green for Saturday’s joint funeral, reflecting the colours of Diamond’s and Stania’s caskets, respectively.

Some relatives struggled to complete their tributes.

At the beginning of the service, Mr Webb appeared overwhelmed and needed help reaching his seat. He later regained his strength, stood before the congregation and spoke about the daughter he adored.

“This is my only daughter. My only daughter,” Mr Webb said. “I tell you, I love this little girl. Her mother said, ‘You have to be spoiled.’ I said she’s not really spoiled, she’s spoiled and she’s rotten.”

He described the devastating void her death had left in his family.

“I’m gonna miss this lovely young lady so much,” he said. “They take a part of me. I’m hurting deep within.”

Mr Webb also mourned the scale of the Shirley Street tragedy.

“We lost five beautiful little ones, darlings,” he said.

The five teenagers were travelling in a Mazda sedan that crashed into a tree near the intersection of Shirley and Church Streets shortly before 2am on June 28. Marcus Thacker Jr, 19, has since been charged with five counts of vehicular manslaughter. Prosecutors allege he was driving dangerously when the crash occurred.

Despite his grief, Mr Webb said he had drawn strength from the unity Cat Island residents displayed as they rallied around the families.

“I tell my family in the group chat, I say I’m going to be as strong as Stanley can be,” he said. “I said the chain is only as strong as the weakest link. I am grateful for everything. All of my friends in Cat Island, we came together so united. It kind of freaked me out a little. We stand together in love and unity.”

Stania’s brother stood beside him and played the final music project she had worked on.

Stania had been studying music and minoring in law at Langston University in Oklahoma, where she was a saxophonist in the university’s band. Diamond, who graduated as valedictorian and head girl of Old Bight High School just two weeks before the crash, was preparing to enrol at the university.

A presentation from Langston University honoured both young women, and mourners were told that the institution had dedicated the school year to them.

Diamond’s aunt played an audio recording of the teenager’s valedictory address, allowing the congregation to hear again the voice of a young woman whose message of perseverance carried new and painful significance.

“Standing here today as your valedictorian, I won’t lie, this means everything to me — not because my journey was perfect, but because it was worth it,” Diamond said in the recording.

“The truth is, it was hard. There were times people called me out, times when I heard the whispers. So instead of breaking, I built myself. I pushed hard and prayed hard.

“When people were talking, I got quiet and got close to God. I stayed rooted in faith when things didn’t make sense, rooted in purpose when I felt lost and rooted in strength when I felt weak. This is why I can stand here today — not because everything was perfect, but because I didn’t give up.”

Diamond told her classmates that her experience was only one of many stories of perseverance among the graduating class.

“My story is not the only one like that,” she said. “To my classmates, look at us. This journey was never about grades or rewards. It was about growth. It was about late nights, pressure, doubt and still choosing to keep going.

“Some of us had battles nobody saw. Some of us carried weight no one talked about, but we made it together.

“We laughed together and leaned on each other when things got heavy. There were days we cared for one another, and that’s something I will never forget. This wasn’t just a journey; it was our journey.

“To my friends, my support team, thank you for never giving up on me and never letting me face anything alone. You checked on me, encouraged me and reminded me to stay strong when life was overwhelming.”

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis also addressed the service, reflecting on the young women’s lives and the futures denied to them.

A family member said Stania and Diamond carried their relatives’ hopes and the pride of Cat Island wherever they went.

“They showed our young people what discipline, faith, education and determination looked like. What that could’ve achieved. We grieve for the graduations, the birthdays, careers, marriages and family celebrations that should have followed,” the relative said.

Bradley Dorsett, Diamond’s godfather, remembered her as a hardworking young woman who had spent several weeks working at his wash house shortly before her death.

Dr Bennique Brown-Pratt, principal of Old Bight High School, recalled Stania as a member of the first group of seventh-grade students she taught after joining the school in 2018.

Although Stania was reserved, she placed among the top three contestants in a public-speaking competition.

Dr Brown-Pratt described Diamond as a gentle and unassuming student who was kind, dependable and consistently participated in school activities.

“You know how people fabricate those qualities for those references for other persons,” she said. “I didn’t have to. Everything written about her came to my heart because it was genuine.”

She said the deaths had left a profound void at the school.

“The loss of these two ladies is an immense one,” she said. “Not only did they leave, but their physical diplomas — they left an ink mark in the hearts and halls of Old Bight High. Love never graduates; therefore, they will revere us as we navigate life without them.”

A marching band accompanied Stania and Diamond to Smith’s Bay Public Cemetery, where their families surrounded their caskets and placed flowers in a final farewell.

As Diamond’s tomb was sealed, a little girl’s cry pierced the cemetery.

“That’s my sister. No,” she said.