GUEST COMMENTARY: BY HARRY ROLLE
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 22, 2023 – When I saw this post on Facebook by Harry Role, in which he mentions that St. Augustine’s College Class of 1971 included Roman Catholic Archbishop Patrick Pinder, I absolutely had to share it as a Guest Commentary with readers of BAHAMAS CHRONICLE. In addition to being a devout Roman Catholic, I once had a close familial connection to Archbishop Pinder, who is my former brother-in-law. The Archbishop’s sister, Dr. Jean Turnquest, and I were married in September of 1999. See Editor’s Note at the end of Harry Rolle’s article. Here’s what he wrote:
“I remember SAC, where I started out in Group12, which was one of the A streams, before sliding south for not doing homework and stuff like that. But there was an advantage in doing that, because I got a chance to rub shoulders and be friends with guys and girls in all the different streams. At the end of the day, we all became great men and women, I think, with some outstanding leaders and bull shitters among us from the Class of 1971. But I had a good time and got a good fundamental education while attending.
With so many giants in such a small society, I must give kudos to the Catholic Education System. At SAC, we had an Olympic-sized swimming pool in 1966 with high and low springboards that were there when I started and even before; also a modern library, science lab, fruit and vegetable orchid and a grand modern cafeteria and a bakery at the monastery.
Since I anticipate another hour before I go to sleep, I will take the time to mention some outstanding giants from SAC Class of 1971: In banking, we have Caroline Harewood and Wayde Christie; Commodore Davy Rolle (Defense Force); Robert Bartlett and Greg Bonamy in Insurance; Neville Bosfield, architect; Rt. Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis, former Prime Minister; Fred Albury of Quality Motors; Phillip Galanis and Hubert Chipman in accounting; Charles Beneby and Kendal Mauclair, Fighter Jet Pilot; Kenneth Lewis Hotelier; Elvin Smith, Anglican Clergy; Charles Carey, Pastor; Asaph Newbold, Radio Host; Harry K Rolle, Artist. There are so many more, and if I stay here remembering, I won’t get to sleep, but last and not least, we have the Archbishop of Nassau. who is Patrick Pinder to us, one of the boys from the class of 1971 and probably the holiest among all of the guys and girls from SAC Class of 1971.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Archbishop Patrick Pinder’s sister Dr. Jean Turnquest was my third wife. She is also the youngest sister of Sir Orville Turnquest, who was Governor General of The Bahamas from 1995 to 2001. We met at the 70th birthday party of Edward St. George, the late chairman of the Grand Bahama Port Authority, with whom I had developed a close friendship during my tenure as editor of the Freeport News.
My first wife, Camille Brannum, whom I married in 1973, was from Washington, D.C. She was a teacher in The Bahamas for two years, but she did not like living in The Bahamas, and this is why we moved to Washington, D.C. in 1975. Camille and I divorced in 1978.
I remained single for many years, but in 1990 I met Enid Gbenyon, a remarkably wonderful and beautiful young lady from Liberia, West Africa. Enid’s parents were very prominent in Liberia. Her father on different occasions served as Liberia’s ambassador to Italy and Switzerland, but because of Liberia’s troubled political history, which resulted in governments being changed several times as a result of political coups, Enid’s family entered the United States as political refugees.
Enid was an extremely smart individual, with a master’s degree in economics. When the FNM won the general election in 1992 and I decided to return to The Bahamas, we made plans to be married in a “couple years” after I had resettled in The Bahamas. Unfortunately, things did not work out as I had planned and I returned to D.C. in 1994. However, in 1996, I decided to return to The Bahamas permanently and a year later, Enid and I were married in Alexandria, Virginia, where her parents resided.
Once here in The Bahamas, however, despite her qualifications in economics, she was unable to find a job and she always teased me about the political contacts I was supposed to have in the then FNM government. Her resume was widely distributed and I made numerous personal contacts with individuals that I thought could assist, but was totally ignored because of a personal disagreement I had with then Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham.
We lived in an apartment complex across from Saunders Beach, and as Editor of The Nassau Guardian at the time, as I usually did, I went into the office one Saturday morning to write my editorial for Monday’s paper. Enid was not home when I returned that afternoon, and did not come home throughout the night. Early the next morning I went to the police station and reported my concerns. Her body was found floating in the water off Saunders Beach later that day and her death was ruled as accidental drowning.
When he read about Enid’s death, Edward St. George called me an invited me to his 70th birthday party and to spend some time in one of his guest houses in. Freeport. It was at Edward’s birthday party that I met Jean and we were married In 1999. However, we separated in 2006 and subsequently divorced.
Nonetheless, I still have some wonderful memories of our life together. She and I were among the group that accompanied her brother Archbishop Pinder to Rome to receive the Pallium from the Holy Father Pope John Paul II at St. Peter’s Basilica on June 29, 2004. At the time, I was Editor of the Freeport News and was extended all the press privileges provided by the Vatican for the occasion.
I still have my STAMPA (Press Pass) as one of my cherished memorabilia. Because I was officially accredited as a member of the working press, I was seated in the area reserved for the press, just behind the section reserved for Cardinals and other high-ranking Vatican officials, and had a good view of His Grace when knelt before the Holy Father to receive the Pallium. As a devout Roman Catholic, it was an experience that I shall never forget, as tears overflowed from my eyes and streamed down my face.
There are also some wonderful memories of family gatherings at Government House when Sir Orville was Governor General at which then Father Patrick Pinder was always present.
