Laughter echoed through Salem Union Baptist Church even as tears flowed.
Family, friends and former colleagues gathered to say goodbye to Preston McKenzie, the retired prison officer whose sudden death last month shocked loved ones.
McKenzie died after his vehicle overturned into waters in Exuma, leaving behind a grieving family, lifelong friends and a legacy built on service, discipline and kindness at the Bahamas Department of Corrections.
Those who knew him mourned his passing and celebrated the life he lived.
His son-in-law, Deondre Stuart, smiled as he recalled one of their earliest encounters. “Are you decent?” McKenzie asked him, sizing him up as the young man dating his daughter.
The congregation erupted in laughter at the memory.
Despite his protective nature, Stuart said McKenzie quickly became a friend.
“He was a kind-hearted and genuine person,” Stuart said. “He liked to make jokes and laugh.”
One memory in particular stayed with him.
Noticing that McKenzie preferred wearing open-toed sandals, Stuart decided to surprise him with a brand-new pair of Jordan sneakers.
McKenzie promised he would wear them. Weeks later, the shoes remained exactly where Stuart had left them.
Stuart recounted another memory of McKenzie’s famous dance moves. “No one could practice to learn it,” Stuart joked.
For Emmanuel Jacques, a former colleague at BDOCS, McKenzie became his family.
The two met 33 years ago and developed a friendship that endured for decades. “He was my right hand,” Jacques said.
Whenever McKenzie arrived in Nassau from Exuma, Jacques was often there waiting for him.
Their bond became so close that McKenzie referred to him as his best friend.
“He knew everything,” Jacques recalled. “I called him the walking Guardian.”
McKenzie’s sister painted a picture of the man she knew long before he became an officer. She described him as “disciplined, meticulous and a perfectionist”.
As a young man, he often handled grocery shopping for the family and never missed an opportunity to bring home his favorite meal — turkey drumsticks.
Family members affectionately nicknamed him “Sheman” because of how well he cooked, cleaned and cared for others.
“He gave of himself without bitterness,” she said.
Commissioner Doan Cleare’s tribute captured his professional impact at BDOCS.
Cleare praised McKenzie’s dedication and the many lives he influenced.
In a lasting tribute, the commissioner announced plans to name the department’s drill square in his honor: the Preston McKenzie Drill Square.