IN CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE OF ETHEL C. SMITH  

IN CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE OF ETHEL C. SMITH

A funeral service for the late Ethel C. Smith was held at the St. George's Episcopal (Anglican) Church in Road Town, Tortola on Saturday 6th December, 2003.

Born 27th February 1922, she passed away 29th November 2003. She is survived by son Leonard Pickering, daughter Patricia McCall, son-in-law Ashton McCall Sr., grandson Ashton McCall Jr., granddaughter Alva McCall, granddaughter-in-law Sandra McCall, great granddaughter Ashley-Marie McCall, brothers Conrad Smith and Glen Smith and sisters Ismay Bartley, Laurie Sowden and Melvina Vessup.

She had one adopted brother Ulric Dawson, adopted son Fr. Liston Garfield, special nephew and adopted son Calvin Callwood, special nephews Keith Edlam and Kelvin Edlam, special cousins Doris Rodriguez, Esmee Swapp and Vanessa Walters and special Godson Roosevelt Smith. She also had a host of special friends.

In delivering the eulogy, Mr. Audley Maduro noted that Ethel C. Smith, Ms. Ethel or Ms. Smith, as she was affectionately known, was born in Cottage Hospital to Hosea Smith, a fisherman and boat captain and Susanna Garcia Smith of Peter Island.

She lived with her parents on Peter Island until she was six, when she moved to Road Town and resided with Mrs. Vitalia Dawson. Shortly after commencing her schooling at the Road Town Methodist School, she transferred to the St. George's Anglican School, where she continued her education until the seventh standard, the highest level of formal education available in the BVI at that time.

She would spend time with her parents on Peter Island during school vacations, rounding up lobsters and fish with coconut branches in the shallower bays on the island. After leaving school at 16 years, she worked for three years as a store clerk in a store operated by Mr. Rufus de Castro on upper Main Street. When that store's operation was discontinued, she concentrated on working on her own, making and selling candies, pastries and handicraft items. Ethel's entrepreneurial spirit led her in 1954 to open Sunshine Grocery, a cook shop and grocery store in the Long House on Fonseca's Corner in Road Town. She was famous for her bread and people from all over would come to get some of Ms. Ethel's hot bread and box cheese.

Several years later, she moved the business further up Main Street to Ms. Jane Horton's building at the bottom of Abbott Road and in 1987 she constructed the building which presently houses Sunshine Grocery. Ms. Ethel had an unquenchable thirst for learning, which led her to take advantage of many courses and seminars over the years, in an effort to improve her business and management skills. In 1995, she took up the position of Treasurer of the Handicraft Association of the BVI, a conglomerate of private local artisans who took their wares to be sold at the now Crafts Alive vendor's plaza on Wickham's Cay.

Despite busying herself with so many things, Ms. Ethel made time for her God and his church. She was a faithful member of St. George's church and severed in many capacities, including senior choir member, Treasurer and founding member of the Episcopal Church Women, Sunday School teacher and member of the Alta Guild, often helping to clean the church on Saturdays for Sunday worship and even sewed and embroidered cloth coverings for the alter and lectern.

The late Ethel C. Smith was described as a devoted family person who always had time for her family and friends and one who will surely be missed by all who came to know, respect and love her. The management and staff of The Island Sun join in expressing condolences to the bereaved.