ST. MARTIN (September 30, 2002) — While preparing the Conscious Lyrics Foundation’s tribute to my friend and comrade, the late Rosie Douglas who passed away during his first term as Prime Minister of Dominica, I heard the sad news of the passing of his mother, Mrs. Bernadette Maria Douglas, businesswoman and widow of Robert B. Douglas, a farmer, businessman and politician. She was laid to rest on Saturday, September 28, 2002 in Dominica—almost two years to the date of Rosie’s death on October 1, 2000.
Mrs. Douglas’s surviving son Macintyre describes her as, “A kind, generous, loving woman. She was always for the under-dog, always ready and willing to help people, I think that’s where Rosie got his kindness from.” He said “The family was busy preparing the anniversary mass for Rosie when suddenly my mom started grieving and stop eating, you must realize Rosie death has had tremendous impact on her life.”
Born on May 18, 1919, in Dominica, Bernadette Maria married in 1939 to Robert Douglas, who would become an elected official during the island’s colonial period. In 1940, she gave birth to Michael, who would become a government minister and leader of the Dominica Labor Party, before his passing. One year later, she gave birth to Rosie. “Rosie was a very nice child, always laughing, very respectful growing up. He never give any problem whatsoever,” said Mrs. Douglas in an interview with Conscious Lyrics last year.
In 1941, when Mrs. Douglas give birth to her third child and first daughter, and found out six months later that she was pregnant, the family story has it that she gave her husband back his ring and said, “I can’t cope with this. I’m going back to my mother’s home.” But “great charmer my father was,” said Macintyre, the eighth child, that “he managed to convince her to come back home and they had 12 more children, giving a total of 16; and my father had 10 more children outside of the marriage.”
In her interview with Conscious Lyrics, which is working on research for a book on Rosie Douglas, the dedicated matriarch of one of her country’s distinguished political families said, “I raise my children on Christian principles. Every morning at 4:30 am they will wake and we pray together and then go to morning service at the church. Things were not easy, but I saw my large family as a blessing from God.” If I could commune with my friend and Caribbean brother Rosie in this humble tribute, I would say: Rosie, your Dominica is missing you and I hope that your life of dedication to the liberation of Our Caribbean and the faith that your mother had in people would now inspire the people of your land of many rivers to persevere and overcome like a mighty river and a healing waterfall all challenges as they continue to build an independent and productive Caribbean nation.
Finally, if Rosie Douglas was alive he would also be proud to see a living example of the practical Caribbean solidarity that he worked so hard for come true in CARICOM’s historic decision, supported by his long time comrade Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and other regional leaders, to assist Dominica in going through its current tough economic times.
Long your Caribbean spirit, my comrade.