THE fabled nurse Florence Nightingale was immortalised as “the Lady with the Lamp” in the Crimean war. Dr Leila Thomas, her Jamaican equivalent as the Lady of the lamp of literacy, soldiered on for more than half century, never ceasing her work to advance lifelong learning.

But on Sunday, January 2, 2011, at age 88, as she was preparing to attend mass, Thomas developed breathing complications. She was rushed from her Evans Avenue, St Andrew home to the Andrews Memorial Hospital. In a few hours she was dead. The lamp that brought literacy to thousands of adult Jamaicans has now itself been extinguished.

Thomas, one of the women most responsible for the growth in the literacy movement in Jamaica, was a former head of the Jamaica Library Service (JLS) and the Jamaica Movement for the Advancement of Literacy (JAMAL) Foundation.

Her impressive career in adult and literacy education in Jamaica spanned almost 70 years — 25 of which were devoted primarily to libra-rianship, including seven years heading the Jamaica Library Service from 1975 to 1982.

She was part of a formidable quartet of women, led by Dr Joyce Robinson, who in the late 1950s established the foundation for the modern Jamaica Library Service which she joined as an untrained librarian and rose to become its head. The others were Dr Hazel Bennett and Gloria Salmon.

Thomas was appointed director of JAMAL in 1982, also succeeding Robinson, and during her 10 years at the helm, the national illiteracy rate dropped from 25 to 18 per cent, bringing thousands of Jamaicans who could not read and write into the light.

Robinson, shaken from news of Thomas’s passing, described her close friend as “a most distinguished librarian, adult educator, public administrator, patriot and Christian lady”.

She said Dr Thomas gave generously and unselfishly, with integrity, dignity, humility and goodwill. “This meant that apart from her work, she was involved as a volunteer in many areas of national life. Her strong leadership qualities enabled her to influence the lives of thousands of Jamaicans from all walks of life. We owe her a great debt of gratitude.

“Personally, I will remember Leila as a most loyal, faithful and loving friend who gave without counting the cost. Jamaica has lost a treasure of great value,” said Robinson.

Dr Bennett said if there was one person who could be described as “Mary the selfless worker” in Jamaica, that person was Leila Thomas.

“Leila never said no when invited to serve, and often offered her expertise when she knew that she could make a difference, even at personal cost and effort — all this in the interest of her country, her profession of librarianship, and her friends and acquaintances who often took advantage of her loyalty, dependability and good nature,” said Bennett.

“She was volunteering in social and professional organisations up to the time of her death. She worked to build the profession of librarianship through the Jamaica Library Association which she served as president on more than one occasions as well as through in-service training programmes which she organised for library staff.

“At the international level she was chairman of the first International Conference for Librarians in Jamaica and represented the country overseas on many occasions. She is irreplaceable and Jamaica will miss her contribution dearly,” said Bennett, who is the widow of the late Wycliffe Bennett.

Dr Lascelles Lewis, who was chairman of JAMAL during Thomas’s stint there, said she was a visionary and strategic thinker who was in charge of JAMAL during its crisis years in the 1980s.

“How she held the organisation together only God knows how,” Lewis said, adding that Thomas was one who did not spare herself in her quest to achieve excellence.

He said Thomas was a combination of a good manager, an excellent leader and a one-of-a-kind woman.

“Her passing has created a void in voluntary work and I don’t know how that is going to be filled,” said Dr Lewis.

Among the many organisations Thomas has served are: the Jamaica Festival Movement; UNESCO Jamaica; the Jamaica Library Association; the National Gallery; the National Book Development Council; the Jamaican Council for Adult Education; the Jamaica National Literacy Awards Committee; the Friends of the National Chest Hospital and a host of other national institutions.

Thomas has published numerous articles and represented Jamaica at numerous international conferences on literacy initiatives and adult education development.

In 1973 she was awarded the Order of Distinction — Officer Class and in 1980 the Commander Class. For her lifetime achievements in literacy and adult learning, she was conferred with the Doctor of Humane Letters by the Nova Scotia-based Mount Saint Vincent University, Canada in February 2001.

Dr Thomas is survived by her sister, Sylvia Thomas and other loved ones and friends. She will be eulogised at a funeral service on Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at the Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church at Liguanea, St Andrew, beginning at 10:00 am.