Retired Senior Nursing Officer Hannah Almarie Grant, 68 yrs., a resident of #12 Palm Ave., Vista Marina, died at her residence on March 26, 2018.

She is survived by her 1 daughter: Zhorrah Grant; 1 son: Thomas Grant Jr.; 2 sisters: Laura Williams & Lolita Moss; 5 brothers: Stafford Rahming, Wilfred Rahming, Christopher Moss, Sterling Moss & Basil Moss; numerous nieces & nephews & a host of other relatives & friends.

Noted local photographer Antoine Ferrier sadly passed away on Sunday, November 6th after a short illness. He died at the Princess Margaret Hospital, on his birthday, at the age of 75.

Charles Antoine Ferrier was born in Gonaives on November 6, 1941 in The Republic of Haiti. During the course of his formative years and early adulthood, he pursued and completed his formal education in Port-au-Prince.

Ferrier first became interested in photography as a teenager. He initially used his mother’s camera to take photographs of friends and family to create a visual record of his school lessons. In the 1950s, a local photographer, George Poliard, who had been trained at the historic black college Tuskegee Institute in Tennessee, loaned the teenager and his friends the money to purchase cameras and made the quarters underneath his house available as a darkroom.

In 1965-66, Ferrier moved to Nassau. He first found work as a photographer shooting voter’s registration cards at the Parlimentary office at the historic moment when many black Bahamians were voting for the first time. In this capacity, Ferrier would meet a number of young black politicians, many of whom would subsequently become political leaders. He would create some of the most iconic representations of these political figures, most notably the photograph of Sir Linden Oscar Pindling that circulates on the Bahamian one dollar bill. In 1965, he worked with photographer Lenny Jarvis at Jarvis Studio, which was located on Wulff Road.

In 1975-1979, Ferrier opened the studio Antoine on Baillou Hill Road, which relocated to Hawkins Hill in 1979. Ferrier embraced the arts and had a great passion and love for portrait photography.

In March 2008, Ferrier’s portraits, along with the photography of fellow Bahamian photographers Maxwell Stubbs, Cleveland Eneas, and Sanford Sawyer were included in a formal photography exhibition held at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas and curated by Bahamian art historian and educator Krista A. Thompson, Phd. It was entitled “Developing Blackness: Studio Photographs of ‘Over the Hill’ Nassau in the Independence Era”. This seminal exhibition explored the meaning and importance of photography within the black communities of Grant’s Town and Bain Town in Nassau, in an area popularly known as “Over the Hill,” in the 1950s through 1970s. Eighteen of his black and white portraits were showcased featuring notable Bahamians including entertainers Leroy “Smokey 007” Cleveland McKenzie and Ezra Hepburn and boxer Leonard “Boston Blackie” Miller.

Press Club President Anthony Newbold described Mr. Ferrier as a professional and a gentleman who brought honour to the profession. “Mr. Ferrier was appointed as one of the esteemed judges for the Press Club Media Awards scheduled for November 19, 2016. He was chosen as a judge because of that professionalism and the respect he has earned over the years in his chosen vocation, and the objectivity he could always be counted on to provide. His presence will be missed,” Mr. Newbold noted.

A statement released by The Bahamas Press Club states: the profession of journalism and mass communications certainly benefitted from the expertise Mr. Ferrier displayed and shared over the many decades as he captured the very essence of Bahamian way of life, news and official events and portraits.

Ferrier is survived by is wife, Leona Ferrier (nee) Sylven; one daughter Robyn Ferrier-Rahming and four grand children.

Information provided by The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas publication: “Developing Blackness: Studio Photographs of ‘Over the Hill’ Nassau in the Independence Era” and The Bahamas Press Club.

Source: Smith & Benjamin’s ‘BAHAMIAN ART & CULTURE’ | Issue No. 284

Ian Bruce

IAN Bruce, an internationally renowned sailor, boat designer and builder who spent periods of his life in the Bahamas, died last month from cancer aged 82.

Born on June 7, 1933 in Kingston, Jamaica, Ian Boyack Bruce moved with his family to the Bahamas in 1945 after his father had been asked by Eustace Myers to open the corporate headquarters of Myers Rum in Nassau.

He spent his teenage years here and made many friends with whom he remained in close contact throughout his life.

Ian lived a full life as industrial designer, sailor, ballroom dance teacher, Olympian and boat-builder and his achievements were considerable. At 20 he found a love of sailing that would become his life’s passion and work: he represented Canada at two Olympic Games (1960 and 1972) and won the Prince of Wales Trophy twice, marking him as the world’s fastest International 14 sailor. But for him it was never about winning; it was about the pure joy that came with being on the water, tiller in hand.

In 1970, following a boat design by Bruce Kirby with sails cut by Hans Fogh, Ian built a small sailing dinghy that would become known globally as the Laser and entered it into The America’s Teacup Regatta. The event changed his life: he soon began building Lasers by the thousands at Performance Sailcraft Inc in Montreal. The next 45 years were filled with designing and building boats, including the Finn, Fourteen, Fireball, 470, Laser II, Tasar, Laser Radial, Byte, 29er and Bruce 22.

In 2009 Ian was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for his contributions to the development of sailing in Canada and internationally.

He died peacefully on the morning of March 21, surrounded by loved ones, following a year-long battle with cancer. He was predeceased by his father William Douglas Bruce, mother Pamela (née Robison), wife Barbara (née Brittain) and brother-in-law Donald Brittain.

He is survived by his daughters, Tracy and Tobi (Greg), grandsons Will and Luke, sister-in-law Brigitta Brittain, nephew Christopher Brittain (Susan), grandnephews Patrick and James, niece Jennifer Brittain (Kate), his dear friend Lynn Pyfrom Holowesko, and her loving family.

A celebration of Ian’s life will be held on May 7 at the Royal St Lawrence Yacht Club, Dorval, Quebec, at 4pm and in Nassau, where he had recently made his second home, at a date to be announced. Donations to the Bahamas Sailing Association, c/o PO Box N 7776-348, Nassau, Bahamas, in lieu of flowers.

Rev'd Cornell Jerome Moss, Bishop of the Diocese of Guyana, passed away on Saturday, May 30. Bishop Moss had open-heart surgery in Miami about two weeks ago, and had been released from hospital. On Saturday, he started to feel ill around 1 p.m. and passed away, according to the Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands.
Reverend Laish Boyd, bishop of Nassau said the Anglican community remembered Bishop Moss had as a hardworking priest who had an excellent record of service and integrity.

"It was no surprise when he was identified as the person who would become the Bishop of Guyana. At that diocese he made tremendous contribution. He was a dedicated person, hardworking, organized, and full of creativity," said Boyd.

"We in the diocese mourn his loss as we feel an even greater sense of sadness for the people of Guyana whom he served for a very short time, but an exemplary record of service there, so we are grieved indeed all over our Anglican Province of the West Indies."

Bishop Moss was born in The Bahamas on December 31, 1959. After graduating from St. John's College in 1978, he went on to test his vocation for the sacred priesthood at Codrington College, Barbados, finishing his studies there on November 6, 1982. He was ordained deacon on January 5, 1983 and was stationed at Christ the King Parish, New Providence. He was ordained priest the following year. He served as rector of St. John's Parish, Marsh Harbour, Abaco from 1986 before assuming the post of rector of the Parish of the Ascension in Lucaya, Grand Bahama in 1993.

In 1998, he was appointed archdeacon of the Northern Bahamas, a post he held until his election to the See of Guyana in 2009. When the Diocese of Guyana failed to elect a bishop, the decision devolved to the House of Bishops of the eight Dioceses of the Province of the West Indies. Bishop Moss had served as delegate from this Diocese to the Provincial Synod and was well known and respected as a competent person to assume the bishopric of that Diocese. He was consecrated on December 9, 2009.

In this diocese, Bishop Moss' ministry was characterized by devotion, dedication and the epitome of faithfulness. To his flock he was a pastor par excellence; to his fellow priests he was a respected, learned and articulate team player. In the Diocese of Guyana, he will be remembered for introducing modern up-to-date administrative and fiscal measures that helped to boost the morale of the Anglicans in that ethnically diverse country. Under his leadership, Guyana was able to train and send for training, a number of ordinands for the priesthood, something that hadn't been done for many years.

He is survived by his wife Carol (nee Thompson), his mother Susan Taylor-Hunt and his siblings.