Dear Editor,

There are moments when sad hearings of a passing shatter the shield with which we surround our friends and loved ones. But they are quickly followed by a flood of feelings, enshrined in experiences that constitute a Milky Way of memories.

We hail Hazel Simmons-McDonald, professor of words and their languages, administrator and conceptualiser of higher education, and a poetess of power with popular acclaim.

Like many Lucians, she embraced The University of the West Indies (The UWI), first at Mona and then spreading wings across the archipelago. She landed at Cave Hill, where she flourished as a teacher, head of department, and dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Education.

Many experienced her as a bundle of dizzying energy, never tiring and always inspiring. There was no surprise when she was called upon to serve as the first principal and pro vice-chancellor of the Open Campus, which was desperately in need of her special skills and commitment. Her contributions to the ‘Open’ and ‘Global’ Campus were an extension of her impressive investment at Cave Hill.

But she never forgot the significance of her first engagement as a scholar. Writing, speaking, publishing and editing remained the centre of her gravity. Traversing the region and the world beyond, her voice as a generous scholar was salient. She was admired and respected. Her ancestral Saint Lucia celebrated her as a ‘piton’ and enabled her to feel the sensation of the elevation.

We hail Hazel for all she did and meant. She moved smoothly and productively among us and into retirement, where there was no resting for the researcher.

From her beloved UWI, we send book loads of blessings and gratitude to blaze the trail of her eternal soul on its journey back home.

Professor Sir Hilary Beckles

Vice-Chancellor, The University of the West Indies