Olive Idahlia Benjamin-Hodge was an Anguillian woman who was beloved from her birth, on December 11, 1925, to her passing on December 10, 2020, and her burial on January 16, 2021.
Affectionately called “Aunt Joan”, she was a resident of North Side – and her long social contribution to church, spirituality and community life to Anguilla, on a whole, gave much recognition to her village.
She is fondly remembered as one of the nationals who were deeply steeped in the virtues and culture of traditional Anguilla and lived a life of service and humility.
Her varied contributions to her island home, and its people, were well referenced in the tributes and Eulogy during the funeral and celebration of her life at The Pro-Cathedral of St. Mary’s on Saturday, January 16. The funeral was conducted by The Rt. Rev. Errol Brooks, formerly of North Side, and Rev. Raliville Christian.
Following are some tell-tale excerpts from the Eulogy: “Like all the girls of that era, she attended The Valley Girls’ School. She was a member of St. Mary’s Anglican Church when church and Sunday school were the order of the day. Her love for her church and her spirituality enabled her to become a Sunday School teacher at an early age…
“After leaving school she worked with the late Joseph N. Gumbs and his wife, the late Elmira Gumbs, at their business place named the Evening Star Casino, in The Quarter, which now houses the World Harvest Assembly Church.
“Aunt Joan spent over thirty years working in the travel agency section handling transactions for the well-known LIAT and WINAIR Airlines, in the region, with connections to the USA, UK and elsewhere. Her assistance in the Kola Factory Industry was also an asset as she ensured the cleaning of the bottles; the making of the kola; the delivery to the outlets – and that payments were made.”
The Eulogy continued: “Being an industrious lady, our late sister developed the skill of making ice cream with other women by churning the ingredients in the ice-cream mill. This she demonstrated at the Anglican Church Bazaars on Burrowes Park, now the James Ronald Webster Park. Being a member of St. Mary’s Anglican Church, she willingly allowed the church to have the open-air outreach Lenten Services at her home and on her premises. Her love for serving others was shown by accepting mail for some villagers, at their request, from the General Post Office Mail Deliverer.”
The late Aunt Joan was the recipient of the Anguilla Badge of Honour and Queen Certificate in the 2009 Anguilla Day Awards – among other church and community awards.
Among her contributions to the Anguilla community, was the donation of her ice cream machine to Heritage Collection Museum, thus preserving a relatively important part of Anguillian culture.
