On November 23, St James Church in Somerset was filled for the Celebration of the Life of the late Veronica Ross. The congregation heard aspects of how this loving mother, iconic educator and community exemplar was not only concerned about some, but “All God’s Children”.I had the opportunity of collaborating with Mrs Ross, in the Bermuda Union of Teachers in the 1980s. Before sharing from that perspective, here’s a summary of the obituary:• Veronica was the second child of George and Kate Ratteray; born June 12, 1931 in Somerset.• In 1932, she left with her family to live in Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) where her parents served as missionaries. Mrs Ross described that seven-year period in Africa as “idyllic ... filled with many happy memories”.• Upon returning to Bermuda, her father played a key role in sustaining Sandys Secondary School — a vital bridge during segregation. Veronica initially attended that Somerset school before transferring to the Berkeley Institute, eventually securing the Bermuda Government Scholarship for college. She returned to teach at Berkeley after graduating from the University of Wales in 1953 • Before leaving Britain, she met a newly qualified doctor — Betram Ross — in London. The two were married in 1956 and the new family first lived in Dr Ross’s homeland of St Kitts before settling in Bermuda. From that union were born five children: Paul, Michael, Heather, Deidre and Fiona, who have made a contribution to Bermuda in a variety of ways• In 1964, Veronica Ross began teaching English literature and history at Sandys Secondary for the next three decades. Her commitment included a can-do spirit. For instance, she sold snacks to students to fund a rudimentary library; this for a decade before the “Sec” secured a purpose-built facility• The young mother was also very active in the Brethren Assemblies of Bermuda; involved in Sunday school and other youth activities, reflecting her deep spirituality• After retirement in 1992, Mrs Ross maintained her passion for “All God’s Children”. She continued volunteering with those incarcerated, supported the school system in various ways and remained active in her faith communityIn a formal tribute, the MP Rolfe Commissiong spoke eloquently on how Mrs Ross had reached out to him decades ago, responding to his opinion pieces, encouraging his personal growth. After the service, Cleveland “Outtasight” Simmons shared how Mrs Ross volunteering at Casemates enabled him to gain his GED — at a time when circumstances had closed the prison’s education programme.When I served with Mrs Ross on the BUT executive during the turbulent early Eighties, she became a mentor — one of a group I called The Saints. Mrs Ross’s grace, presence and calm commitment exemplified that moniker. It was those qualities of character that during 1981 provided a beacon, enabling many of us to pull together and negotiate that historic crisis. After considerable discussion, the BUT staged the island’s first “sympathy strike” in solidarity with blue-collar government workers. It was that straw that brought about peaceful resolution, avoiding disaster. While a number of us were young and brash at the time, it was the considered support of senior educators such as Mrs Ross, Betty Kawaley, Lorraine Fubler and others which galvanised the role that the BUT played.The 1981 saga offered a breakthrough in industrial relations. Additionally, the extraordinary example of empathy by teachers helped to transform some classist and other differences in our society — affirming “All God’s Children”.Subsequent to that crisis, I was privileged to serve terms as both president and full-time organiser of the BUT during the Eighties. It was the collaboration with Mrs Ross and other mentors that the island’s oldest union was able to make critical gains in supporting the professional development of educators, enhancing the remuneration of the profession and promoting the transformation of the school system. Mrs Ross served as a representative of the BUT on the Education Planning Team. She recognised the negative impact of the 11-Plus exam, which segregated young people at secondary level. She travelled with the EPT to visit schools in Ontario as a part of that process. While she recognised that the outcomes from that process had been hamstrung by the reality of Bermuda at that time, she has ended her race with the hope that the gains made would be leveraged for our community to access the potential of “All God’s Children”.Veronica Ross’s son, Paul, shared at the service that she literally passed “with a smile on her face”. Her legacy offers benefit to our entire society.Glenn Fubler represents Imagine Bermuda