KENNETH G.DOUGHLIN

By Stanley Collymore

You were much more than my English Master for you

were also my Sunday School Teacher, inspirational

mentor, and as I grew into adulthood a close and

trusted friend just like you were to my parents and

grandparents before me, and subsequently my siblings

and numerous others too whose minds and personal

characters you skilfully crafted, enabling us all

to effortlessly become productive and, in

several cases as well, extraordinarily

talented women and men.

Now regrettably, as is the known inevitability of life,

you’ve passed on and sadly from our human perspective

you’re no longer physically here with us. But even so we

don’t regard this mortal exit from our lives as a case of you

having died and that’s the end of it; not one bit! For in

our hearts, minds, souls and our entire being on each and

every waking day of every year and long after we ourselves

who personally knew and loved you are also no longer around,

you’ll still enduringly live on; a touching and iconic symbol

of meritorious expectations as well as a perpetual source

of remarkable inspiration to thousands throughout

the Barbadian Diaspora, and similarly too to

generations of Bajans as yet unborn.

For human though you were like the rest of us , you were none

the less significantly blessed with exemplary qualities which

we all readily understood, greatly admired, keenly sought

to emulate as best we could and, in turn, assiduously

endeavoured, and still do, to pass on to those it

became our responsibility to teach – our engaging and

personal outreach to the consummate Master of Simplicity

who bestrides like a Colossus the world of mortal man

and whose splendid achievements and impressive

legacy, underscored by the passage of time and

cherished memories, will I know fruitfully

and fittingly live on for all eternity.

© Stanley V. Collymore

24 March 2013.

Allis Non Sibi – For Others Not Ourselves – is the Latin motto of our school; it’s also the dream, dexterously affected into reality, that Mr Doughlin brilliantly and permanently instilled in all of us. Thank you Sir with my everlasting gratitude for all you did. And I’m absolutely confident that God in his gracious appreciation will bless and reward you eternally for what you were in your earthly life and I’m sure still are and unchangeably will remain in your Heavenly one.