The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

My aunt Dame Marjorie Davis will be laid to rest today at St Francis Xavier Catholic Cathedral. She lived an exemplary life, having dedicated her life to God and fulfilling the work of our Lord throughout her long life of nearly 95 years. A Bahamian icon and heroine, Dame Marjorie Davis was instrumental in improving and furthering many facets of Bahamian society, including in the fields of education, Girl Guides, the Zonta Club, the Legion of Saint Mary, the local Catholic faith and countless others.

Her faith in God and her love of her country, the Bahamian people and her family inspired my aunt to achieve heights of greatness.

Dame Marjorie Davis was born in Nassau, Bahamas, on November 2, 1928, to Sir Cyrus Ulysses Davis and Hilda Davis, the second oldest of 12 children. She was a classmate of Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling and she had many inspiring stories of growing up alongside the father of our nation. Dame Marjorie obtained a Grade 1 Senior Cambridge Certificate from the Government High School. My aunt attended the University of Toronto, Canada, in 1946, at a time in history when it was exceedingly rare for a black woman in The Bahamas to attend university abroad. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree and in 1950 obtained her Teacher’s Certificate from the Ontario College of Education.

Dame Marjorie Davis returned home to Nassau and, at the Government High School, taught generations of Bahamian students Latin as well as Spanish, mathematics, accounts, commerce and religious studies. In 1965, Dame Marjorie received an Advanced Diploma from the University of Hull in England and continued her further education in 1969 by obtaining her Master of Education degree from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

In 1970, she returned home to Nassau and joined the Ministry of Education as an education officer, being appointed senior education officer in charge of guidance and counselling. In 1977, my aunt became the first woman to serve as the Director of Education in the Bahamas. In 1988, Dame Marjorie Davis was requested by her former high school classmate Sir Lynden Pindling to coordinate the introduction of the Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE). Then, five years later, she retired from the arena of education.

In her so-called retirement years, my aunt was as busy as ever dedicating her time to Girl Guides in The Bahamas for which she provided 66 years of service. Dame Marjorie was a charter member of the Zonta Club of Nassau and she was involved in many groundbreaking projects over many years, including programs at the Ranfurly Home for Children and the PACE program for unwed mothers. Dame Marjorie was very active in many Bahamian health initiatives including HIV/AIDS projects. She was a member of the Legion of Mary, a group who routinely visits and provides valuable assistance to the sick and shut-ins of New Providence.

Dame Marjorie was a very active and instrumental member of Saint Francis Xavier’s Catholic Cathedral for her lifetime.

Dame Marjorie was awarded the honour of Officer of the British Empire in the Queen’s New Year’s Honour Awards in 1989. In 2015, Dame Majorie Davis was honoured with the opening by the Bahamas Government of the Marjorie Davis Institute for Special Education in recognition of her profound and significant contribution to the field of education in the Bahamas; following in the footsteps of our uncle educational icon Mr. D.W. Davis who likewise had a school named in his honour. In 2019, Dame Marjorie received the honour of Dame of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Sylvester from His Holiness Pope Francis.

Dame Marjorie Davis has received the Youth Leader Award from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Bahamas Government Silver Jubilee Award in the Category of Education, the Zonta Club of New Providence ‘Living Legends’ award, Jones Communication International Ltd ‘Bahamian Legend’ award, Sir Victor Sassoon Heart Foundation ‘Golden Heart Award,’ the Nassau Circuit of Methodist Churches for Outstanding Community Service and many other awards. My aunt provided endless and selfless service to the Bahamian society, not for recognition nor for awards but for the love of the community in the name of God.

Inspired by my grandfather, Sir Cyrus Ulysses Davis, my aunt was a brilliant and successful businesswoman and real estate developer, who was a selfless benefactor to many organizations, charities and the Catholic Church throughout her lifetime. The very simple, humble and quiet life she led stood in stark contrast to her very generous philanthropic contributions and her humility meant that those contributions were rarely mentioned.

Dame Marjorie was a second mother to me in every sense of the word and I was likewise the son she never had. I was inspired to achieve higher education in the field of medicine by her and return to The Bahamas to contribute to the betterment of the Bahamian society as she always did. I named my only daughter after my iconic aunt.

Rest well in eternal peace, Auntie. Heaven has gained another angel.