The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE mother of a 37-year-old motorcyclist killed in a crash on Gladstone Road said she had hugged her only son goodbye at the airport just a day before his death, never imagining it would be their final embrace.

Betty “Rochelle” Mader said her son, Tyrone Paul, had carried her luggage into the airport before wrapping his arms around her. The following morning, he was killed when his motorcycle collided with a Subaru on Gladstone Road, leaving behind two sons, including a baby who will celebrate his first birthday later this month.

Ms Mader said the loss has been especially painful because of the years her son will miss with his children and the life she had expected him to live.

“I don't get to see him walking down the aisle. His children don't see that. Him not being there for his children, the baby will never know him,” she said.

Paul, affectionately known as “T”, was the father of 13-year-old Tyrone and 11-month-old Tyre, who will turn one on October 21.

His mother said their final meeting has left her reflecting on the importance of appreciating loved ones while they are alive.

“You don't know the last one. That's why we have to truly embrace every minute, every moment, and value people and not things,” she said.

Paul, a Grand Bahama native who moved to New Providence a little over a year ago, was killed shortly after 8am on Monday, October 5, just south of John F Kennedy Drive.

His death was reported earlier this week, but his mother has since shared details of their final meeting, her reservations about his passion for motorcycles and the relationships he built throughout his life.

Ms Mader said her son had been riding motorcycles since around 2009 or 2010 and considered him an experienced rider. She admitted that she never supported his interest in motorcycles, although she accepted that he was an adult who had to make his own decisions.

Police said their preliminary investigation indicated that Paul was travelling north when he allegedly entered the southbound lane and collided with a Subaru travelling in the opposite direction.

The impact threw him from his red and white Honda 650 motorcycle onto the roadway, where he died from his injuries. Officers found the black Subaru with extensive damage to its front and Paul lying unresponsive near his motorcycle.

Ms Mader said she had heard that the other person involved remained at the scene and offered support, including praying with her son. She expressed gratitude for the reported gesture and said she hoped to meet that person.

“That was truly a blessing. That is someone that I would like to meet,” she said.

Beyond the circumstances of his death, Ms Mader described a son whose friendships often became lasting relationships with the wider family.

She said he had a remarkable ability to bring people together, recalling that during his childhood and teenage years, she sometimes had as many as six of his friends living in her home.

Those friendships continued into adulthood, with people who first entered her life through her son remaining close to the family.

“He built foundations for people by building communities, drawing families together, and those people are still in our lives today,” she said.

Ms Mader described her son as caring, respectful and loyal, someone others could depend on and whose personality made him stand out wherever he went.

“When he entered the room, he was the star. No matter what it was that was taking place in his life, he was like the star. He was like the crackerjack, the smile, the gift in the box.”

Yet some of her most treasured memories were of ordinary conversations between them, when they would sit together and speak openly, sometimes working through disagreements.

She said her son encouraged her to express herself whenever something was troubling her and would listen even when their exchanges became frustrating.

Those moments mattered to her because they reflected the trust and closeness they shared.

Now, she said, she is trying to cope with his death “one step at a time”, drawing comfort from memories of their relationship and the people whose lives he touched.

Asked what she would say if she could speak to her son once more, Ms Mader returned to the bond that had defined their lives together.

“That's my baby, man. That's my baby. That's my baby no matter what,” she said.

She said she had always made a point of telling her son that she was proud of him and that he could depend on her.

“I always reminded him I'm proud of him,” she said. “No matter what, his mommy got him. That’s something he knows, ‘mommy got you’.”