A Personal Eulogy

Written by Jon Beard to Jennie Beard – Read by Malcolm Durrant , Deputy Headmaster of Saltus Grammar School

I have asked our good friend Malcolm to read this eulogy as I am painfully aware that emotionally I would be unable to do so.

I met Jennie when I was 19 and she was 18 at a university dance. We have been in love since then. She changed my life and the world was a more exciting place to me because of her.

We both shared a real passion to see the world. Being born within a decade of the end of World War II, international travel for most people in the UK at the time was just a dream. But with Jennie we made it a reality. By our late 20's we had been around the world twice. We went on to do safaris, see sunsets in such places as Ayers Rock, Australia (which we would certainly have missed had we left when I had wanted to!),the pyramids of Eygpt, the Taj Mahal, Fiji, the Masi Mara, and the Grand Canyon. We have been on African safaris, Tiger safaris, Para-sailing and white-water rafting. We had adventures in most of the major cities in the world, and made a lot of fabulous friends along the way.

The thing for Jennie was of course to ensure we did things with style and class. For that was indeed Jennie. In the last two years as she has fought this awful disease that class and sense of adventure has never left her. For example on a weekend break between treatments in Baltimore I asked Jennie what she would like to do the reply was instantaneous – see Cher in Vegas. And so despite all of her problems she boogied away watching Cher in Vegas.

Never was her class and style seen strongest than when her wonderful mother died so suddenly two months ago. Jennie stood up strong and wrote and read a beautiful eulogy that brought everyone to tears. I'm just sorry that I am not strong enough to do the same for her today

One thing that she said about her mother that is so obviously true of Jennie is that she loved to laugh and to make other people laugh. That I won't share that laughter anymore is impossible for me to contemplate. This is of course so for all of us here.

Jennie comes from a small, close family. Born in Manchester she grew up in Blackpool as her parents ran a very successful fish and chip shop. Often during college days she would get a call to come home for the weekend as they were short-handed. She would jump in her Mini and dash off to help.

If she missed a social occasion she would make up for it on her return!

She was always close to her brother Malcolm who she loved very much and to his family Emily and Dan. I am so pleased they are here as they have had the chance to see her and to see how much she was loved in her island-home.

At 11 years of age, she won a scholarship to a private girls Grammar School. This changed her life and opened doors to many opportunities. Her choice between air stewardess or teacher was decided for her by poor eyesight, and the teaching profession has been richer for it. After graduating from college with Distinction she started teaching in a small village school in Herefordshire. However, after a year there I was offered the job at Saltus and she was to bring her experience to Bermuda.

Her first posting was to cover a teacher at West Pembroke, before she got a contract at Paget Primary. She loved her time there, but at the end of the contract she had to look elsewhere and was pleased that a job came up at Cavendish. This was indeed serendipity as Jennie was to find her real niche in life. She was responsible for the early years education of almost 1,000 students – and although pretending to be amazed that someone who couldn't tie up their shoes now runs an international company, or is a politician, an accountant or a lawyer, she was immensely proud of them.

Jennie has supported me in every venture I have been involved in – she even used to come and watch me play football – if ever there was an example of true love, that was it. She has been with me throughout any successes and held my hand through disappointments. Along the way everyone loved her for her smile, her friendliness, and her amazing sense of humour.

Jennie went on to be the Deputy Head at Cavendish and loved every minute of it. Two years ago she was appointed to the Director of Curriculum for the Saltus Primary Dept. She was so excited at this opportunity. But then disaster struck in the form of this awful disease.

In typical Jennie fashion she faced this problem head-on. Even until the end she was planning ways to beat this terrible situation. Jennie had a rare and aggressive form of cancer. She probably outlived her expected time by a year.

Everywhere we went in trying to treat this disease, Jennie created love and admiration. On leaving her treatment clinic, and then her hospital ward at Johns Hopkins hospital, seasoned professional medical staff came out to say goodbye to her and there was not a dry eye in the house. She had this ability to love and be loved.

I pray that none of you assembled here will ever have to suffer this awful disease. However, I know some of you have and are doing so – so may I pray that soon the medical world finds a way to stop this disease and to provide relief to untold millions.

I could not explain to Jennie why this was happening to her, and why she had to die. The only solace I get from this is that the way she bore herself in such a selfless manner must surely have been an example to all of us; and her contribution to the youth of Bermuda will have an impact for ever.

Her fight would not have been possible without the fantastic help of family and friends. The support of the Bermuda community has been overwhelming. It is impossible to thank everyone enough for the wonderful messages, phone calls and letters that Jennie received, and the love shown by so many.

I would particularly like to thank the Saltus family for all their fantastic love and support, and to other families such as the BFA, Island Games assoc, and the BCDS.

I cannot attempt to put into words how much I will miss Jennie. I still find myself going into her room to tell her some information I have just received.

We have been together for 32 years and (to quote from one of her favourite films "Pride and Prejudice") I love her incandescently. I will love her for ever.