After losing her son then her husband in quick succession, Madree Lindsay found solace through faith and photography.

Now she has combined these passions to produce a calendar, depicting Bermudian life and landscapes, with proceeds going to help the needy.

The Pembroke resident was devastated when Nathan Richardson, the youngest of her three sons, passed away in May 2014.

The 38-year-old had been studying air conditioning and refrigeration in England. He lived just a half-hour’s walk away from Old Trafford, the home of his beloved Manchester United, which he enjoyed telling his mother and the population of Bermuda. Mr Richardson died after a short illness, with his mother at his side.

“Nathan always had a beautiful smile and he was friendly with everybody,” Mrs Lindsay said.

In May this year, as she was retiring from her administrator job, her husband Jerome Lindsay also fell ill. He passed away shortly after, aged 76.

“I was happily married and we did everything together,” she said. “If I told him I was going to the grocery store, he would come with me.

“His passing seemed to happen so quickly. It was hard to accept. Nathan and Jerome were both wonderful people who loved to help others, and I think about them every day.”

Despite her hurt, Mrs Lindsay — a member of St Paul AME Church — vowed not to let grief get the better of her.

“As Christians, we have this hope that we will see our loved ones again. So I didn’t want to go around looking miserable and defeated,” said the grandmother-of-six.

“I knew that in my mind, but my heart was still aching. I thought, ‘What can I do to get over this?’”

One day this summer, after praying for strength and peace, Mrs Lindsay opened her eyes to discover she had a whole new outlook.

“Everything just looked so calm and bright. I thought, ‘Does everyone see this beauty that I see right now?’” she said. After this epiphany, Mrs Lindsay began taking photographs when she went out walking — using a camera given to her by her middle son Nigel’s wife Nicole.

“The pictures came out so pretty, the thought of a calendar came to me, one that locals and tourists might like to buy,” she said.

Featured in the calendar are familiar sights to Bermuda residents such as Cup Match, the sparkling summertime ocean and a traditional Sunday breakfast. Her seven-year-old grandson Nylan, one of Nathan’s three children, also appears twice — tending Easter lilies and performing a Gombey dance.

Mrs Lindsay received support from local businesses and individual sponsors.

She hopes to sell the calendars to fund community missions beginning with compiling Christmas gift baskets at her church for those in need.

In the meantime, Mrs Lindsay is continuing with her photography and is open to repeating the calendar again next year if she receives sufficient interest.

“This project has helped me a lot. It keeps my son and my husband alive in a positive way. They’re still present with me, in my heart and my mind,” she said.

Mrs Lindsay’s calendars cost $12 each. They are available at Brown & Co, People’s Pharmacy and from Mrs Lindsay herself at 292-0327 or mlindsay@logic.bm.