Eldred "Ed" Bethel, whose career in broadcasting spanned decades, stretching back to pre-independence, and who became a highly regarded Bahamian diplomat, died at his Nassau home yesterday evening after a two-year fight with lung cancer, his family confirmed.

He was 82.

"He was humble, loving and a true Bahamian," said his daughter, Lisa Bellot.

"He loved his country. He loved his family. He loved being Papa. That was his pride and joy, being Papa."

In a statement last night, Prime Minister Philip Davis said Bethel's contribution to journalism in The Bahamas cannot be overstated.

He began his career at The Tribune under the tutelage of Sir Etienne Dupuch and Sir Arthur Foulkes, and went on to cover many of the major events in The Bahamas.

"His work as coordinator of ZNS coverage of the 1973 Bahamas independence, along with Charles Carter and Carl Bethel, was a historic moment for our nation," the prime minister noted.

"As a remarkable diplomat, the face of The Bahamas on the international stage, his service as consul general to New York and Bahamas high commissioner to the United Kingdom and ambassador to the European Union serve as testaments to his commitment to public service and his unwavering dedication to our country."

Davis added, "Specifically, Mr. Bethel's service as consul general to New York was marked by his dedication to the well-being of Bahamians living in the United States, while his service as Bahamas high commissioner to the United Kingdom and ambassador to the European Union was marked by his commitment to advancing the interests of our nation in Europe."

He noted, too, that Bethel was a devoted family man and a community pillar.

"He will be remembered for his kindness, integrity, and unwavering commitment to public service," the prime minister said.

"Mr. Bethel's passing is a great loss to our nation. He will be missed by his family, friends, colleagues, and all who know him. His legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of many whose lives he touched and the contributions he made to nation building."

Over the years, Bethel worked in various media and communications organizations, including Jones Communications Network (JCN), The Nassau Guardian and Bahamas Information Services.

Bahamas Ambassador to the United States Wendall Jones, himself a veteran broadcaster, recalled that Bethel contacted him in 1972 to advise him that he was getting a job at ZNS, the state broadcaster.

It is how Jones got his start in broadcasting and it was there that Bethel's and Jones' brother-like friendship blossomed.

"Ed has served our country extremely well in journalism and in diplomacy," Jones said.

"He was a well-rounded, well-prepared journalist. I personally owe a great deal of my training to Ed Bethel.

"He was my first supervisor in broadcasting 50 years ago back in 1972 when I joined the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas.

"We remained friends for all of those years, and so Ed was my friend, he was my brother and he was even my employee, but I had a tremendous amount of respect for him.

"Even though I owned JCN, we didn't have the relationship of the boss and the employee. We were friends. It was similar to the relationship I enjoyed with Mike Smith or the late Lionel Dorsett over the many years."

Jones said Bethel was a "brilliant journalist and a very nice man".

"He was responsible for the training of scores of reporters who came through either ZNS and even Jones Communications," he said.

"In our business of journalism, you can really say that he was iconic. He was simply a legend."

Jones recalled that Bethel's voice had for a while been the authoritative news voice of ZNS.

"Indeed, as we are about to celebrate the 50th anniversary of independence, I remember it was in 1973 that Ed was one of the main voices on the broadcast at Clifford Park when the Union Jack was lowered and the Bahamian flag was raised for the first time," he said.

"He was a consummate broadcaster and a national treasure. He will go down in the annals of broadcasting as simply one of the best."

Mike Smith, a retired broadcaster and diplomat, also shared fond memories of Bethel as he expressed sadness over the passing of his former colleague and friend.

"Ed was very professional. He loved journalism," Smith recalled.

"Remember now, he came along as a Bahamian pioneer in journalism. In ZNS, he came at the change of the guard in terms of Majority Rule.

"He, Charles Carter, Carl Bethel, Calsey Johnson, were the principal people who were involved in journalism at ZNS at that time and he was also a fun person. He also had a period of sports. He loved to go to regattas and I always liked to go to regattas when he was there."

Smith added, "He also was a mentor to a lot of people, including myself.

"Even though I was one of the first Bahamians to have a degree in broadcast journalism, Ed at that point had a lot of experience when I came back, so I still consider him a mentor even though I had the degree and he didn't."

Bethel's mentoring of journalists continued over his 50-plus years in journalism.

"You could not work with Ed Bethel and come away from the experience unchanged," said Tameka Lundy, assistant vice president of university relations at University of The Bahamas and a former mentee of Bethel's.

In the 1990s, Lundy worked in Jones Communications.

"He was a walking treasure trove of fascinating history," she said.

"From him, I learnt more deeply why context is important and is critical to framing the news narrative.

"By the time he and I worked together closely in the JCN, Love 97 and Bahama Journal newsroom, he was fully in his stride of mentoring us.

"He would remind me of the personal narratives — seen through his eyes — behind the historic moments that we know from the history books. He was there and he would never grow weary of transmitting his vast knowledge.

"In that way, he poured so much of himself into the shaping of the next generation of journalists and God knows I am thankful that he did.

"In an era where there is a demand for quickness and instantaneous consumption of content, Mr. Bethel was from an age where getting it right was not sacrificed on the altar of being the first."

In 2020, The Bahamas Press Club honored Bethel with the Etienne Dupuch Lifetime Achievement Award, capping off his long and outstanding career.

"His death certainly leaves a void in journalism - broadcast and print — in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas," said Press Club President Anthony Capron.

"He was a consummate professional, a gentleman, and was instrumental in preserving the integrity and standard of the profession, characters which his peers and upcoming journalists strive to emulate."

Bethel is survived by his wife, Dawn; four children, Wayne Bethel, Lisa Bellot, Bianca Bethel-Sawyer and John Black, and one stepson, Christian Adderley.

In addition, he is survived by his grandchildren — Justin and Jordyn Bethel; Eryn and Selyna Bellot; Zoe, Syrai and Inger Black; Avani, Aziya and Ace Sawyer; and Brooke and Ben Adderley — and numerous other relatives and loved ones.

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