Even though Olympia Gordon made an indelible impression on this writer when she was just a kid, taking note of the goings and comings at "Beulah", her home on Victoria Street, we only got back on each other's wavelengths four years ago. That's when she phoned me to meet her distinguished son, Dr. Claudio Corrent. At that time this Notebook column was then carried by the Mid-Ocean News.

(As a matter of interest Dr. Claudio is due in Bermuda from his home in France on Wednesday next for his mother's funeral that is to take place at St. Theresa's Roman Catholic Cathedral next week.)

Following is a reprint of the outcome of the meeting Olympia arranged and carried in the Friday, April 7, 2006 edition of the Mid-Ocean. And reprinted below:

"The Italian born and bred grandson of Mazumbo, alias Dr. E.F. Gordon, the revered surgeon and founder of the organised labour movement in Bermuda, has been visiting his ancestral homeland for only the second time in his life. Dr. Claudio Corrent is a highly specialised Bio-Medical Engineer. In fact he is the international service engineer for the Strasbourg-based Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics center of the Johnson & Johnson Company.

I was thrilled as the biographer of Mazumbo that Dr. Corrent took time out during his busy schedule to answer a few questions about his professional and personal life, about how Bermuda factors into his outlook, and most importantly to find out just what brought him here this time around. He summed up the last question in three words: "Family! My roots!"

He said, "I had this chance to come and visit my mother. I am really happy about that. It was her birthday."

His proud mother is Mrs. Olympia Gordon Corrent. She echoed her son's sentiments, adding with a characteristic Mazumbo flair, "Am I happy? I am ecstatic! The last time I saw Claudio was 15 years ago. This visit coincided with my 60th birthday, and it has been an eye-opening experience, a very happy one, and we have been able to get some issues sorted out on both sides of the Atlantic."

She added: "I think this has been very beneficial to both of us."

"Definitely," said Corrent.

English is only one of the four languages that he speaks not only fluently, but flawlessly, just like Olympia and so many of the other Mazumbo offspring I have been privileged to know. They all seem to have inherited what was one of Mazumbo's most distinctive hallmarks, which was good speech.

Olympia is the eldest of three daughters of Dr. Gordon and Mildred Lane. The others being Pamela, former Premier of Bermuda, now Dame Pamela, and Pat, or Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, now Shadow Minister of Finance of the Opposition United Bermuda Party.

Dr. Corrent explained that "a biomedical engineer is many things. Whatever medical or mechanical device you see in a hospital is something that has been designed by a bio-medical engineer, ranging from a wheelchair, heart and lung machine, blood analyzer, x-ray or CAT scan."

He is the international service engineer for Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, a Johnson & Johnson company that makes blood analysers that are used for testing blood. "I am supporting Analysers (technicians) in the field who are able to test blood. Basically, I support all countries predominantly in Europe and all countries worldwide except the United States. We have people in the field who are meant to take care of the maintenance of the analysers we produce. If they are unable to fix a machine or if something become complicated, hot, or too sensitive, they may call me and I decide whether to fly over and resolve the matter."

Explaining how he got involved in this field, Claudio said he was always scientifically inclined as a youngster. Fortunately he had an uncle who was teaching at the engineering school in Milan where he studied and he was the one who talked to him about the career he pursued.

Claudio's father is Luigi Corrent, who is now retired in Italy, after having spent his lifetime in the restaurant business. It was his interest in the hospitality field that brought him to Bermuda more than 40 years ago, to work at what was then the Carlton Beach Hotel (since demolished).

In the same time frame young Olympia Gordon was starting her career in the hospitality field. She and Luigi met and married and together they traveled, living and working in Italy, England, Switzerland and Africa.

"There is not much else I can say. They result is we have a Dr. Claudio Corrent," commented Olympia. "We are now divorced. I still maintain my marriage name."

At age 33, Claudio has no siblings, being his father's only child. We asked him if he has a family of his own. Claudio said with a smile, "No I don't have a conventional family. I am not yet married. I am engaged to an Italian girl; she is living with me in France. I have a small dog, and that's the nucleus of my family."

He has many kinfolk in Italy, and keeps in close contact with them, visiting Italy every two or three months.

Claudio's Italian family did not encourage his visiting Bermuda. He had no problems growing up in the close-knit community where he was raised. But because he was the only 'dark' (skinned) person around, he credited Luigi, with making him aware of the Bermudian heritage and the role his grandfather had played in Bermudian affairs.

"Basically, now that I have a chance to visit my mother I am very happy. I am not Bermudian. I am Italian in my passport, and maybe one day I will ask if it is possible for me to get Bermudian status. I am definitely interested."

He had had very few contacts with his mother's family in Bermuda. And during his week's stay he planned to catch up with all of them. "I have seen Pam. I did not make it to see Pat yet (she just happened to have been off the island on business). I am planning to come back soon."

We asked him about his grandfather's family in Canada and England. He said, "I know I have a very large family spread around the world. Yes, I am interested in meeting them, being Italian, family is really the central thing. That is one of the reasons I have come to Bermuda."

Dr. Corrent was happy accompanying his mother to the headquarters of the Bermuda Industrial Union, where he met some of the union officials, saw the Dr. E.F. Gordon Memorial Hall and was presented a copy of the 334-page History of the BIU, authored by Ira Philip.