NASSAU, The Bahamas, January 30, 2021 — His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Cornelius A. Smith, Governor General of The Bahamas, attended the funeral service for the late Zelma Dean, former Director of Education, at Saint Barnabas Anglican Church, on Friday, January 29. Father Donald G. Kerr officiated.
A veteran educator and former Director of Education, Mrs. Dean died on Friday, January 15, at the age of 84 after battling an illness for a long time.
As tributes poured in following her death, former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham remembered Mrs Dean as an enthusiastic educator with an unmatched passion for improving literacy among Bahamians, according to an article published in The Tribune.
Remembering her, Mr Ingraham said: “I was saddened to learn of the passing of veteran educator, Zelma Dean earlier today (Friday). I knew her by reputation even before I came to meet her. Stern, dependable, reliable, honest and forthright are but a few of the adjectives that aptly describe this consummate servant of the Bahamas public service.
“Among my early acts on becoming prime minister in 1992 was to cause Zelma Dean to be plucked from the government-operated school system where she was serving as principal at the Government High School and to have her appointed as Director of Education.”
Mrs Dean, who hailed from the island of Rum Cay, was known for her no-nonsense take on educating the children of The Bahamas and was dedicated to ensuring that all citizens of this country were able to read.
