Edgecombe Funeral – PM
cialis canada clinic times;”> From The Prime Minister
cialis usa times;”>Sandra “left it ALL on the field” of life
As a former competitive athlete myself, it is fitting for me to use a sports metaphor to aptly characterize the level of commitment and quality of public service consistently delivered by Sandra over more than two generations: Simply put, Sandra “left it ALL on the field” of life – her professional life, her social life and her personal life.
In a sense, by giving of herself to liberally and spontaneously to both students and colleagues alike, Sandra successfully cheated death and the grave. This is the essence of a successful, purpose-driven and full life: I dare say that a successful life is measured not so much by what we would have acquired during our earthly sojourn, but by the extent to which those gifts were used to positively impact others in order to, in the case of Sandra, embellish professional relationships, create better schools, a better education district, a better community and yes a better country.
And that is a significant lesson from the life and work of Sandra Edgecombe. The leadership, the discipline, industry, ambition, perseverance, the wise counsel, the love and dedication and yes the knowledge were all imparted in the hearts and minds of literally thousands of students over more than forty years teaching and nurturing young lives who would go on to become leaders in this country in their own right. She was not the premier Blue Jay for nothing – she was Mother Blue Jay for very significant and compelling reasons. Who knows what their fate would have been had Sandra not intervened in and influenced their lives? Her talents and her value system will live on in those young lives and will be passed on to future generations all to the benefit of a better community and a better Bahamas.
So on this day we celebrate the triumph of Sandra’s life and the defeat of death and the grave. This is in such stark contrast to the carnage in our country today mainly among our young people. So much potential – the potential to grow and develop this country and to solve its many challenges is instead being lost to death and the grave, with so much of our people being robbed of life and service to others, but on this day, life and service won and death and grave lost. Sandra’s remains returned to the dust completely empty and that is the measure of the success of her life. I am confident that her Maker is smiling on her as He welcomes her home with the iconic words “thou good and faithful servant.”
She joined the public service in 1974 and moved to Grand Bahama in 1978 and would leave an indelible mark on the education landscape on the Grand Bahama. The systems, processes and procedures established by Sandra will continue to serve the Northern District of the Department of Education well into the future. On behalf of my government and the Northern District of the Department of Education, I thank her for her years of stellar public service.
Further, I join my colleagues in thanking and expressing my heartfelt condolences to her husband, Mr. Godfrey Edgecombe and her son Garris who demonstrated extraordinary grace and forbearance as they shared their wife, mother, best friend and confidant with thousands of others who were in such need of Sandra’s great gifts. Yes her departure from this life was sudden and did not afford many family, friends and colleagues the opportunity to bid her a proper farewell, but we are confident and comforted in the knowledge that her life was purpose driven and in the end, Sandra “left it on the field” on life.
May her soul rest in peace.