It is unlikely that the hundreds who packed the St. Theresa's Roman Catholic Cathedral in Hamilton and the Ruth Seaton James Auditorium will easily forget the Memorial Mass and celebration of life tribute to the late Dr. Dorothy L.A. Thompson. She was born on March 6, 1927 and was three months short of her 83rd birthday when she passed away.

Miss Thompson (as she was then) was the headmistress who established the Prospect Secondary School for Girls (PSSG) in 1957, and its principal until 1973 when she moved first to Toronto and later to Nova Socia impacting there, most especially on the town of Atigonish, the remaining days of her life.

The turnout of family, friends and admirers from all over the Island and abroad for her Memorial on Saturday, September 11, was reminiscent, in the words of Miss Jennifer Manders of the great outpouring of respect and admiration for this "delightfully charismatic Bermudian educator" at her last rites in Atigonish.

"They spoke often, with tears in their eyes of her positively -persuasive leadership, the warmth of her common touch, her kindness, wisdom, humility, her love for children and her deep respect for all humanity," stated Miss Manders. She was one of several Bermudians who travelled to Nova Scotia for her funeral at St. Ninian's Cathedral.

In his funeral homily, the Rev. Tom MacNeil spoke of the blessing having been graced with the presence of "Dorothy, (as she liked to be called) who radiated in her total being the sacredness, dignity, respect and priority of the human person. And in an overwhelming manner let us see how a person is made in the image and likeness of God in her Ministry as a Lector".

Noting that her life was immersed in a real life experience of the Gospel, and referring to her "rich, articulate voice", Rev. MacNeil said Dorothy was an educator, not as a job or profession, but rather as an embodiment of the wonderfulness of life and the joy of growing in knowledge.

Presiding over the Mass at St. Theresa's Cathedral was the Most Rev. Robert Kurtz, C.R., the Roman Catholic Bishop of Hamilton. He had not been privileged to know Dr. Thompson personally, but from what he had heard and read about her, he said to applause, that she would without hesitation by his nominee as Bermuda's next national hero.

The secular aspect of the tribute to Dr. Thompson was at the Ruth Seaton James Centre for the Performing Arts. The breadth and dept of the impact of Dorothy personally, and the PSSG institution with such assistants as Miss Carol Hill (Speech and Drama) Mrs. Georgine Hill (Art) on a whole generation or more of Bermudian women was clearly evident in the personalities of those packing the corridors of the Centre.

They included women currently performing and others who have retired from jobs in the highest levels of Government, the Civil Service, and all along the commercial and retail line; as well as making significant contributions in their churches and communities. It was simply amazing.

The committee who organised the celebration comprised Pat Hall, Judith Hall Bean who incidentally just returned from Buckingham Palace in London where she received from the Queen the insignia of the OBE, awarded for her service to Government, among other things as Cabinet Secretary; Jennifer Manders, Senior Education Officer, Early Childhood Education (Retired); retired headmistress Margaret Manders; Juneia Jeffers; Florenz Mazwell, Joan Blades, Geilder and Lynell Furbert, Sonia Grant (lawyer and former Alderman and Deputy Mayor of Hamilton); Judith Ratteray and Pamela Ramsay.

A light lunch and exhibition of school memorabilia in the corridors was followed in the auditorium by a stage production lasting over three hours. It included a drama presentation produced and directed by banker Marsha Burrows of the Class of 64, highlighting snippets of life at PSSG.

There was a brilliant portrayal of Miss Thompson by Carolyn E. Pemberton delivering both her first School Assembly address to teachers and students outlining her vision and goals; and in her final Assembly and farewell. There was never a dull moment during the three-hour presentation, including singing of school hymns and songs, recitations by adults dressed in school uniforms they made especially for the occasion

Also there was a sterling PowerPoint presentation on Dorothy's life, showing film from her days as a Berkeley Institute and Central School student and later a teacher at Central School; and as a leader in the Girl Guide Movement. The MCs were Pat (Fubler) Hall and Judy Hall Bean. Pat Hall in her welcome address to the gathering, complimented the PSSG Girls Alumnae for having "come full circle" at the Memorial, because the Performing Arts Centre was the site where the school began 53 years ago.