It still feels like we are walking through heavy water as we grieve the passing of our sister Frances Lowrie Beard. She was family and community-focused, a connector, counsellor, and cheerleader for extended family and friends.

Frances and her husband William welcomed their retirement as a time to dedicate themselves to causes of social justice, church projects, and outreach to the Franciscan Mission in Westmoreland, Jamaica. Their friends formed the Young Adults Prayer Ministry 40 years ago and did not change its name, so here were these mature friends, young in spirit, praying together regularly, whether in person or via Zoom.

Frances was the rock of our family. Despite her busy life, she kept tabs on every single sibling, niece, nephew, grandniece, and grandnephew. She never forgot a birthday, and despite her health issues, she was always checking up on everyone’s health. She reminded us to keep exercising and eating well and was very disciplined about preserving her health as best as she could. She was a trusted confidante, affirming and supportive. We were always laughing at hilarious experiences in our family.

A Convent of Mercy Academy “Alpha” valedictorian, Frances treasured her friends from schooldays, and the others she met afterwards both here in Jamaica and in her Maryland, USA, community. She was attracted to authentic, kind people; status was never her yardstick. Frances brushed off any acknowledgement of her professional achievements. As communications manager for the Episcopalian Diocese of Washington, she won multiple awards for the publications she edited. As organisational development (OD) manager for the Eastern Division of the National Education Association (NEA), her professional but understanding approach made her a favourite. As retired NEA Chief Financial Officer Michael McPherson said to me last week, “Everybody loved Frances. She was our angel.”

Our shop, PROComm, got a taste of Frances’s OD skills, well-honed with her Johns Hopkins master of science degree. After the company’s 10th anniversary, I asked her if she would facilitate a retreat for our staff. It was a humbling experience. She had conducted confidential interviews with staff members ahead of her arrival, and for the retreat we booked a villa on the north coast. There she set the stage on the first night by sharing the results of the interviews, which poked holes in my management style. It was bitter medicine, but with her guidance we created new processes that have served us well.

Frances left us after a strong fight with lung cancer. She warned us that we must never say she lost that fight as she was a brave soldier for the cause. She was an ardent supporter of the LUNGevity Foundation, a community of fellow soldiers. She had the blessings of the most loving husband William and daughter Patrique and access to groundbreaking treatments through the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, DC. This resulted in 10 years of being cancer-free after her first diagnosis, with a newly discovered targeted treatment.

As we kept vigil at Frances’s bedside, her daughter played her favourite music, including Toots and the Maytals and Shaggy. We believe
Strength of a Woman describes her perfectly. Hospice was set up in her home and we reminisced with her. We talked about Miss Amy’s basic school in Hartford and her sweet grater cake. We recalled the long hours at the Savanna-la-Mar library, discovering the joy of books before we were 10. We had fun summers when we spent time with our grandmother in Westmoreland after we moved to Kingston. There were sugar plums and star apples as well as the making of “moonshine dolly” with stones with our Omess cousins next door.

On road trips along the north coast she had to stop for coconut water and scoop out the sweet jelly, and we hunted down honey bananas, her favourites. She was a road warrior in the US, enjoying the cuisine of various states and chilling in beautiful parks.

Family and friends converged on the Church of the Resurrection to celebrate Frances’s beautiful life. They flew and drove miles to fill the church. The choir, of which Bill has been a member for 18 years, turned out in their numbers to deliver a moving farewell, with opera singer Matthew J Minor rendering the solo
Deep River. Our brother Tony Lowrie, who was ordained a Roman Catholic deacon last year, celebrated with Father Frank DeSiono and Deacon David Sully. Our niece Danya McCree spoke about Frances’s unifying force.

Frances left us with practical lessons: she and Bill had made their funeral arrangements even before her health took a turn for the worse. She had written down detailed instructions, including readings and hymns, and that she wanted a short service and no lengthy eulogy.

Our friend, nurse educator Pat Rowe, when comforting the siblings said, “You were a four-legged stool and now one leg is gone, so you are going to feel wobbly. God will give you the strength to stand steady again.” We are moved by the support our family has been receiving, so loving are those who Fran loved.

Bereavement is a blow to the spirit which takes time to heal. It is manifested in numerous ways, so it is a time for patience and understanding. As we pray that our beloved ones will rest in peace, we must help each other to find peace after such painful losses.

Thank you, Minister Clarke

Last week seniors advocacy organisation CCRP welcomed the announcement by Minister of Finance and the Public Service Dr Nigel Clarke of a substantial increase in the Pension Exemption and Age Relief Exemption.

According to a Jamaica Information Service release, “The exemptions will each move from $80,000 to $250,040 and will see more people in receipt of a pension falling outside of the tax net.

“At present, persons under 55 years receiving a pension from an approved statutory pension scheme or an approved superannuation scheme are entitled to a tax exemption of $80,000, restricted to the pension income only.

“If the pensioner is 55 years and over, the $80,000 tax exemption can also be applied to their other sources of income.”

Congratulations, Custos Edith Chin

Congratulations to Edith Chin who was recently sworn in by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen as the new custos rotulorum for the parish of Clarendon. She succeeds William Shagoury, who she lauded for his dedication.

“As I embark on this journey, I am acutely aware of the immense responsibility that lies ahead,” said Chin. “With over 600 justices of the peace on our register and a diverse range of needs and stakeholders across our parish, I am committed to prioritising partnerships, unity building, and encouraging dialogue.”

The Oxford-educated Chin and her husband Jukie Chin, co-owners of Juici Patties Jamaica Limited, recently announced the expansion of Juici to Florida in the US. They are renowned for their sponsorship of sports and community outreach, especially for the elderly. They are CCRP Living Legacy honorees.

Jean Lowrie-Chin is founder and executive chair of PROComm and CCRP. Send comments to lowriechin@aim.com.