At age 18, as a young television broadcaster (still the youngest to have ever anchored major TV news) Leonie Forbes was my trainer. The lessons she taught me have never left me and now as a public speaking coach, I use all the ‘Leonie-isms’ when I teach.

Leonie was a master elocutionist and orator who got it right every time. I wanted to be like her and Fae Ellington. I listened every Sunday afternoon to her programme of poetry Especially for You, on JBC FM, produced by her friend Jean Rhone, just to learn how to master the English language and deliver poetry. To this day I can recite some of those poems, word for word.

Aunt Lee taught me the importance of preparing and organising self before an event. She would say, “Look ere Lickle Miss, if you fail to prepare, you must prepare to fail.” As an actress, when the younger ones would arrive at the theatre 30 minutes before show time, Leone was there at least 90 minutes before call time. Once it got to half hour before show time, she went into a zone and you literally could not speak to her. That is how serious she was about her work.

As an actress, Leonie was a study in characterisation and could switch character — face, voice, posture, aura, everything — in a nanosecond. If you blinked you could be looking at a different person.

Kindness of spirit, that was Leonie Forbes, and her house was always full of young people to whom she passed on her knowledge freely.

Miss Lee, your legacy lives on in so many of us and our lives and professions are better because of the part you played.