Queen honours Bermuda trio
Three Bermuda residents have been recognised by the Queen in her New Year Honours List.Giorgio Zanol, of the Lindo’s Group of Companies, has been awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire). The 71-year-old Devonshire resident described himself as “honoured” and “ecstatic” about the news last night.Meanwhile, the Queen’s Certificate and Badge of Honour was awarded to Chaplain Kevin Santucci and long-time volunteer Lynn Wilson. Mrs Wilson said she is “surprised and happy” about the news, and Chaplain Santucci described himself as “more than honoured”.According to a statement from Government, Mr Zanol, 71, was recognised for his charitable contributions and advocacy in the community. Born in Italy, he came to Bermuda in the mid 1960s and has spent more than 40 years helping his family build a successful business — the Lindo’s Group of Companies.More than 170 people work for the group, including 17 members of Mr Zanol’s extended family.The statement added: “His charitable contributions are widely known in Bermuda, having devoted his attention to many philanthropic causes, with many organisations benefiting from his efforts, including the Bermuda Diabetes Association, the Lions Clubs of Bermuda, Rotary International, St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church and the CedarBridge Academy and the Devonshire Colts to name a few.“Mr Zanol is also passionate about health and fitness, and it’s through his sporting pursuits such as marathon running that he has managed to raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Bermuda Diabetes Association. One of Georgio Zanol’s greatest traits is his humility, and he has dedicated his life to helping many around him. Mr Zanol is passionate about giving back to the community and is committed to sustainability. In recent years, he introduced reusable green grocery bags in his stores, and also paved the way in alternate energy production with the installation of solar panels on the roof of his store in Devonshire.”Reacting to news of his honour, Mr Zanol said: “I was ecstatic when I first heard about it and thought ‘what did I do to deserve this’? I couldn’t believe it. I heard about four-and-a-half weeks ago, and it was such a great honour I was almost speechless.”Mr Zanol, a father-of-two who is married to Marilyn Zanol (née Lindo), said his wife only learned the news at the same time as the rest of the public — a minute past midnight British time last night, when the announcement was made on behalf of the Queen.Mr Zanol explained that he has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity through his own running — which includes 56 marathons, a 50-mile run last year in Switzerland and a full marathon last December from Mount Everest base camp plus the annual Lindo’s to Lindo’s race.“It’s so good to be able to do something for people less fortunate than we are,” said Mr Zanol, who plans to travel to London to receive his honour from the Queen next year.Mrs Wilson, 84, from Pembroke, was recognised for her years of voluntary service in the community.The Government statement said: “For more than 20 years, Lynn Wilson has dedicated her life to volunteering her time and energy to the patients at the KEMH VII Continuing Care Unit. Mrs Wilson is seen as an invaluable member of the Continuing Care Unit and has touched countless lives with her care and dedication. Mrs Wilson is also a long serving member of the St Monica’s Guild and currently serves as its President. The role of the Guild is provide assistance to the church in fund raising, visitation of the sick, and assisting with various community activities. And recently, Mrs Wilson was instrumental in founding the St Monica’s Community Feeding Programme.”Giving her reaction to the news, Mrs Wilson, who is widowed, said: “It’s a privilege and I have to give all thanks to God first of all. He’s the one that gives me the strength and makes it possible for me to do my voluntary work.”–Mrs Wilson said she had not told her family yet, as she was waiting for the public announcement of the honours.“I was quite surprised and happy at the same time,” she said of the news.Chaplain Santucci, 49, from Warwick, was given his honour for his outstanding social and religious service. According to the Government statement, he is widely known “for his dedication to social needs, his Christian involvement, his musical talents and the giving of his time as a volunteer”.It added: “[He] performs a variety of services both locally and internationally. As an Evangelist, he regularly teaches and holds Christian based seminars; he has preached, taught, baptised and shared his singing talents throughout many parts of the world. He is well known for his community work in the US, South Africa, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. He is a long serving member of the Bermuda Parks Commission and in late 2012, he was appointed as the Chaplain / Spiritual Advisor to the Corporation of Hamilton. He is a long serving member and now chairman of the Warwick Parish Council, which owns and operates the Lorraine Seniors Home.”–Chaplain Santucci is also the Chaplain at the two east end correctional facilities — the Co-Ed and Prison farm — and writes a blog at www.gardenministry.blogspot.com. He has a son, daughter and granddaughter.Responding to news of his honour, he paid tribute to the influence that “three wonderful ladies” have played in his life — his late mother Grace Santucci, his late Godmother Phyllis Butterfield, and his wife Karon Santucci.“I am more than honoured, and I pay honour first of all to God,” he said, adding: “No honour is by itself and I want to thank God for those I stand with, all the good Bermudians. This honour is in honour of them as well as of me.”