funeral

Laughter mingled with tears at Salem Union Baptist Church as family, friends, and fellow attorneys gathered to bid their final goodbyes to Romona Farquharson-Seymour, a woman remembered as both a fierce advocate and a deeply compassionate individual.

As mourners slowly passed her coffin, some paused, shaking their heads in disbelief, still struggling to accept the sudden loss of a woman whose presence once filled rooms with energy and confidence.

Farquharson-Seymour’s life was deeply rooted in the church where her funeral was held. Reared at Salem Union Baptist, she later served as attorney for the church and the Bahamas Baptist Union, using her legal training in service to her faith and community.

Senior Minister Cedric Farquharson told mourners that Farquharson-Seymour used her talents to serve both the nation and the kingdom of God, leaving a legacy of service far beyond the courtroom.

Near the front of the sanctuary, tears streamed down the face of her husband, Calvin Seymour, as friends and colleagues stood to offer tributes. Nearby, the couple’s two young daughters sat quietly, a tender reminder of the life and family she leaves behind.

Farquharson-Seymour was also an executive member of the Free National Movement, where she was known as a formidable legal mind. Party leader Michael Pintard recalled the shock that rippled through the organisation upon hearing of her unexpected death.

He described her as an attorney with “formidable skill and a sharp mind,” someone unafraid to challenge conventional thinking.

“She asked the hard questions, challenged the comfortable thinking,” Pintard said. “She spoke with clarity when others preferred caution. She didn’t sugarcoat very much. She didn’t soften the truth when circumstances required firmness.”

“She mattered to our organisation, and she mattered in the hard conversations, whether you agreed with her or not.”

For those who knew her best, however, it was Farquharson-Seymour’s warmth that defined her just as much as her intellect.

Her close friend Cathleen Hassan said she loved Romona like a sister.

Hassan recalled how the busy attorney balanced her demanding legal career with motherhood, often raising her children while working from her office.

“She was a full-time mother and a full-time lawyer,” Hassan said.

Romona’s presence, she added, had a way of transforming every room she entered.

“She brought an effervescent energy with her,” Hassan said, prompting laughter from the congregation as she fondly remembered Romona “sashaying in on her very high and sometimes inappropriate shoes.”

Yet behind the humour, Romona was deeply committed to helping others. Hassan said Farquharson-Seymour often offered legal assistance to those who could not afford it.

“She was warm-hearted and helped anyone she came into contact with,” she said. “She was ferocious, and she had a unique way of looking at issues.”

Hassan remembered a woman constantly striving to grow. “Always open to learning,” she said softly. “Always open to being better than she was.”

As the casket of Mario Lockhart lay at the front of Trinity Global Cathedral, grief hung heavy, a pain shared by friends, family and community still struggling to come to terms with his violent death.

Presiding over the funeral service, Bishop Trevor Williamson urged restraint in the face of heartbreak, reminding mourners that justice ultimately rests with God.

“The perpetrator who took Mario’s life, God will deal with them,” Williamson told the solemn congregation.

He described the act as “cowardly,” recounting how Lockhart was providing security at a party when he was shot in the back by a gunman reportedly angered by a prior confrontation over entry rules.

“That’s a real sissy — somebody got to say something,” Williamson preached candidly, drawing murmurs from mourners. Williams then offered counsel.

“‘Vengeance is mine,’ says the Lord. Forgive him. Let God fight your battle… Mario lived a good life.”

Mourners said his life was marked by hustle and an unrelenting belief in possibilities.

Friends remembered the 52-year-old as an entrepreneur who could “make money from anything,” always seeking new ways to grow and diversify. Member of Parliament for Nassau Village, Jamahl Strachan, described Lockhart as someone deeply in tune with his community.

“He understood the pulse of the ground,” Strachan said, noting that Lockhart had planned to canvass alongside him ahead of the 2026 general election, plans now cut short.

A resident and businessman rooted in the area, Lockhart built his livelihood, owning Hardcore Security and the entertainment venue Da Crib Lounge.

“I appreciated him most as a constituent,” Strachan added, “because he represented what you want most constituents to be, thriving, business-oriented, Bahamian-owned business.”

Others spoke more simply, yet powerfully.

“To know Mario is to love him,” said friend Hugh Strachan.

Adrian Pratt remembered him as supportive, passionate, and friendly, the kind of man who showed up when people needed him.

One moment of lightness in the service was when Bishop Williamson recalled Lockhart’s 2017 run for office with the Democratic National Alliance, joking that he once thought, “This joker ain’t ga win nothing,” prompting gentle laughter from the congregation. Lockhart did not succeed politically, but many said his true impact was felt more strongly in the community.

One friend asked that the person responsible would be made so uncomfortable that they would surrender to authorities.

The family of 12-year-old Adriel Moxey who was strangled, raped, and killed last month, are preparing to bury her on Saturday.

The funeral will be held at the church she often attended to find solace, Restoration Kingdom Ministries, not far away from where her body was discovered through a track road off Faith Avenue.

Police still have not confirmed whether or not the suspect in the case is the person responsible for the brutal crime. Authorities said they are still awaiting a doctor’s clearance to question a 34-year-old man who is a patient at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre.

DNA samples from the victim and the suspect were sent overseas for testing, but police have not yet confirmed if it was completed or whether or not the results matched.

However, police believe they have the correct suspect because of injuries on his body and based on the intelligence they gathered.

Adriel was described as “a light in all of our lives.”

“Her radiant smile could brighten the darkest days, her clever wit brought endless laughter, and her outgoing nature made her a joy to be around,” a family member said.

Soon after the incident, the family launched a GoFundMe and raised $4,522 which they hoped would cover the funeral and memorial cost.

Precious Sweeting lost her 17-year-old son Brieon Sweeting on September 8 in a motorcycle accident. She plans to hold a Souse Out to pay for the funeral.

Brieon was visiting Nassau from Andros. While driving a motorcycle along’ Go Slow Bend’, West Bay Street, he collided with a black Ford Explorer driven by a man believed to be a senior judge.  According to police, the black Ford Explorer was traveling north on West Bay Street near Coral Drive, when the driver said he attempted to make a left turn into the western seaview parking lot. The driver felt an impact and saw Brieon crash into a gate on the street’s western side.

Emergency Medical Services determined that Brieon died on the scene.

Sweeting has planned the event for Saturday in Nassau Village and posted the flyer to social media, requesting financial assistance to pay for her son’s burial.

The flyer reads, “In aid of Breion’s Homegoing Celebration.”  She is asking for a donation of $10.

Sweeting said the insurance coverage was not sufficient to pay for the funeral and is expecting that the proceeds from the Souse Out will cover the cost.

At the time of the incident, police said it was not yet determined who was at fault for the accident. Sweeting said she still does not know who drove the black Ford Explorer.

“I’m looking for information in reference to who knock[ed] down my son, because not only am I struggling emotionally with the death of my son but I’m also struggling financially,” she said in another social media post.

Brieon’s father  Kevin Louissaint described the teen as “joyful” and was expecting that he would return to Andros after taking a swimming test for employment on a cay. Instead, Louissant was informed that one of his worst fears became true.

He never wanted his son to ride a motorcycle. “I always told him to stay off those bikes.”

Sweeting believes the driver of the black vehicle “left him in the road like he was some dog.”

Breion will be buried on October 5.

The solemnity of mourning overwhelmed the Christ Church Cathedral on Thursday morning as Cabinet Minister Obediah Wilchcombe was laid to rest following his unexpected death as Minister of Social Services, Urban Development, Information and Broadcasting nearly two weeks ago.

As the coffin was transported to the church, a traditional procession of saddened parliamentarians and family members, marched behind the coffin, drawing scores of onlookers in a vast expression of grief and gratitude as they bade farewell to a man whose life as a public servant helped define journalism and politics in the country.

Prime Minister Philip Davis remembered the beginning of their friendship when Wilchcombe served as a rookie court reporter and Davis, a lawyer.

During his speech, he said Wilchcombe, who once served as Tourism Minister in Perry Christie’s administration, was “surprised” when he was given the portfolio for Social Services in 2021 when the Davis administration won the election. Since the governing party’s ministerial swap last month, Davis remembered Wilchcombe was “full of enthusiasm” when Broadcasting and Information were added to his portfolio.

Opposition Leader Michael Pintard remembered his smile and style, and praised him for easing the tension in the House of Assembly during fierce debates.

During a career that began in 1994, Wilchcombe served as a senator before serving in his ministerial posts.

It appeared he suffered health challenges over the years. He was 64.

Photo credit: The Free National Movement, Oracle Media Consultants

The world said a final goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II on Monday, marking the end of her 70 year reign.

As millions watched on television, thousands more traveled to London and Windsor for the state funeral and burial to honor the Queen in an hours-long service.

Flowers adorning the coffin were picked from Buckingham Palace. On the wreath, her eldest son King Charles III penned a note to his deceased mother, “In loving and devoted memory. Charles R.”

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who delivered the eulogy said grief for the late queen was felt around the world. “She was joyful, present to so many, touching a multitude of lives.

“People of loving service are rare in any walk of life. Leaders of loving service are still rarer.”

Her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who at times became emotional, followed the coffin as it was carried in a procession through London. Mourners lined the route, many seen weeping openly.

The Queen will be laid to rest at the King George VI Memorial Chapel alongside her husband Prince Charles who died last year.

She died on September 8 at the age of 96.

Photo credit: Sky News, The Guardian

Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham emerged from obscurity to pay respects to Former Cabinet Minister Darrell Rolle, who died at the age of 77.  Prime Minister Ingraham criticized the government for not permitting the funeral at a church. He called it “very wrong” and “inconsiderate.”

Why it matters

• Hon Darrell Rolle is a former Cabinet Minister, serving in the Pindling administration. His last appointment was Minister of National Security, a position he held from 1990 until August 1992, when the PLP was voted out of office.
• Traditionally, official funerals are held at churches.

The big picture

The Emergency Order outlines the limitations of funerals in the country as health officials combat the spread of the virus. The competent authority has restricted funeral services to graveside only, with ten individuals in attendance, excluding the officiant.

What Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said

He said, “I am very disappointed because the government did not allow Darrell Rolle’s funeral to be held in a church. He gave distinguished service to the Bahamas over many years.”

Ingraham said he did not want to involve himself in any controversy over the emergency order.

Government funeral status for former cabinet ministers

• Hon Darrell Rolle falls under the second tier of official funerals given to former Cabinet ministers and serving members of Parliament.
• The government covers funeral costs up to a maximum of $10,000 and the police and defence force provide an honour guard.
• Lying-in-state takes place in the House of Assembly. The church service is carried live on radio and may be recorded for future airing.
• The church service is attended by the governor-general, the prime minister, Cabinet ministers, other parliamentarians and senior public officers.