(EDITOR’S NOTE: This excellent FACE-TO-FACE article by Felicity Darville was published in The Tribune on Tuesday, October 19, 2021.)
By FELICITY DARVILLE
NASSAU, Bahamas – When a giant of a man leaves the imprint of his footstep on this Earth, it can be seen for generations to come.
That is why the family of E Pedro Roberts II continues to honour his legacy long after his passing.
He is known as the Father of Pharmacy in the Bahamas. His work to revolutionise the pharmacy department of the Princess Margaret Hospital can still be seen today. Many professional pharmacists in this country blossomed from under his wings.
His son, E Pedro Roberts III, is still successfully leading the group of companies he founded. Both of these men stand on the broad shoulders of Enoch Pedro Roberts I, nation builder, educator, craftsman and mentor to many. It is this kind of generational legacy that helps to weave the fabric of a strong nation.
I have known Enoch Pedro Roberts III, better known as Pedro, for many years. What I did not know was that getting to know him would actually turn out to be a family affair. His loving mother, Jacqueline Ann Roberts (nee McCollough), is such a gem. His sister, Anna Maria “Mimi” Roberts, is a well-known and trusted pharmacist like her father; and she is one of my most trusted friends. E Pedro Roberts II has six grandchildren, and they are all respectful and intelligent, a trait that runs through the entire family.
In all my years of journaling the lives of Bahamians, I have yet to find a family like that of EP Roberts I. You may recognise his name, as there is a primary school named after him in New Providence. He and his wife Gladys Raine Roberts (nee Archer), both from Abaco, were parents to seven children: Dorothy Wisdom (nee Roberts); Gerald Roberts; Sylvia Johnson (nee Roberts); Father Anthony Roberts; E Pedro Roberts II; Dr. Patrick Roberts; and the only surviving child, Rosemund Roberts Williams.
From these children came many great descendants, all involved in nation building, including: Italia Johnson, first female Speaker of the House of Assembly; Senator Gladys Johnson-Sands; Attorney Kathleen Hassan; former Ministers of Youth, Sports and Culture Neville Wisdom and Daniel Johnson; Oscar Johnson; educator Cora Cooper; Hollis Roberts Delancy, a recent Face to Face feature, and many others. These are just a few that I know personally. It speaks to how strong and broad this legacy is and it is for this reason, as the family celebrates what would have been the 85th birthday of E Pedro Roberts II this week, I join them in honoring him.
When Enoch, originally from Green Turtle Cay, and Gladys Raine, originally from Marsh Harbour, moved to New Providence, they had high hopes of giving their children a good education in order to establish for them a good foundation for life. As an educator, Enoch wanted to make sure his children could go even further than he did.
Through a scholarship opportunity, the gifted young Enoch was able to go off to Tuskegee Institute (now University) and obtain a degree, a highly commendable achievement back in 1936. Trained in biology, chemistry and woodwork, he came back and worked throughout the Family Islands, imparting his knowledge and molding young people to do the same.
Later on in life, having his own children, he began to sow into them the seeds of good moral standards and intellect that he hoped would take them around the world. It came to fruition.
In the case of EP Roberts II, he developed a keen interest in science, inspired by his father. EP Senior guided his son into the technical schools and in 1952, EP Junior became a pupil science teacher under Robert Cunningham, a native of Scotland working under contract with the Board of Education. Pedro Jr attended Continuing Education Evening Schools at both Western Junior School under Carlton Francis, and Eastern Senior School under Donald Davis (both for whom schools have been named). He successfully completed several GCE examinations before graduating from high school. See Felicity Darville’s complete FACE-TO-FACE article in The Tribune at http://www.tribune242.com/news/2021/oct/19/face-face-family-living-legacy-legend/?opinion
