NASSAU, Bahamas – Veteran educator and former Director of Education Zelma Dean died on Friday morning after battling an illness for a long time. She was 84 years old, The Tribune reported on Friday, January 15, in an article written by Tanya Smith-Cartwright.
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. Mrs Dean served as Director of Education under a previous Ingraham administration.
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, a career educator, hailed from the island of Rum Cay. She 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.
Mr Ingraham continued: “Mrs Dean, a wife and mother with roots in Rum Cay, was not intimidated by the size of the undertaking nor of her unexpected promotion from high school administrator to education policy maven.
“A mathematician, she applied the exacting and measured training of that field to all her endeavours. She was an enthusiastic educator with, I believe, an unmatched passion for improving literacy among Bahamians. It is no surprise then that the “‘Let’s Read Bahamas’ was one of her brainchildren.” See link to complete Tribune story in BAHAMAS CHRONICLE at http://www.tribune242.com/news/2021/jan/15/veteran-educator-zelma-dean-dies-age-84/
