The Education Department and Primary Schools in Anguilla are mourning the loss of an Arts and Crafts Teacher, the late Mrs. Addonie Lodell Phillip nee Reid who died early last week.
A Service of Thanksgiving for her life and work was held at St. Mary’s Anglican Church on Monday this week. Students and teachers at the Valley Primary School, where she was based, were the main mourners in attendance.
Education Officer for Pre-School and Primary Education, Veda Harrigan, delivered an address in which she spoke about the professional career of the late teacher.
Mrs. Phillip-Reid, originally from Stoney Ground, began her teaching career in October 1989. In September 1998 she was awarded a three-year degree course in Arts and Crafts at the Edna Manley School of Visual and Performing Arts in Jamaica. On completion, she was appointed to travel across Anguilla to serve in the six Government Primary Schools. She had particular responsibility for staging the Primary Schools’ Exhibition and, more recently, the Arts in Motion Fashion Show.
“It is interesting to note that Teacher Addonie started her teaching career at the Valley Primary School and it is exactly there that she ended it,” Ms. Harrigan said in her address. “Upon her return to work three weeks ago, it was agreed that rather than travelling with her colleagues (Teachers Sherlita, Kathyra and Charla) to the six schools ,that she should remain at Valley Primary. That consensus was not easily accepted as Teacher Addonie wanted to continue her routine visits to all the schools.
“We, at the Education Department, felt that travelling from school to school was not in Teacher Addonie’s best interest because of her health issues. However, we granted her desire to visit all the schools to see her students and colleagues during the first week of her return (and, I dare say, to see them for the last). After that she remained at Valley Primary School to deliver the Arts and Crafts Programme there.”
Ms. Harrigan added that although quiet and unassuming, Teacher Addonie made a mark on the lives of her many students over the years; and she offered condolences, on behalf of the Ministry and Department of Education, to Teacher Addonie’s husband, Roosevelt Phillip, her mother (Mrs. Beulah Reid) and a sister, Teacher Dollynell.
The presiding Minister was Pastor Dexter Welcome, of Dominion Faith Centre, who delivered words of comfort. Teachers and students played special roles in the Memorial Service.
The funeral of the late teacher will be held this Friday, March 9, at the Church of God (Holiness) on the Queen Elizabeth Avenue.
