Last rites were held this week at St James Anglican Church for veteran schoolteacher, Louella (Bean) Douglas of Sound View Road, Sandys.

Aside from the more than 40 years she spent in the classroom, she was a leader in on a wide spectrum of social, cultural and fraternal fronts.

She taught Sunday School at St James Anglican; was a lector in the scriptures, an usher-sideman for communion.

She served as Lieutenant in the First Somerset Girl Guide Company; and was an active member of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, Manchester Unity.

Parish Rector, the Ven Dr Arnold Hollis lauded Mrs Douglas as “the Grand Lady of the Parish of Sandys, who always looked regal and was most sociable”.

This writer on a separate occasion, described Mrs Douglas as the personification of all that’s inherent in the old saying, that behind a good man was a better woman.

It was in reference to her marriage for many years to Wilmouth Douglas, the father of her two sons Mervyn and Lloyd Douglas.

He was an engineer at the Royal Naval Dockyard, and leader of Yard Workers that amalgamated in the formation 50 years ago of the Bermuda Industrial Union.

Mrs Douglas was in her 96th year, when she passed away. The eldest child of Willis and Rosalie Bean, she had four brothers and sisters (all deceased). Louella attended the Huntley School, and later West End Primary School.

In 1936, at age 17, she graduated with seven GCE subjects from Sandys Secondary School, which was then situated in the Todd Building situated at the foot of Church Hill.

Immediately she began as an assistant teacher at West End Primary. Rapidly she became a specialist of Year Seven students. She wrote how she liked the challenge of preparing her students for the all important transfer exams. Her motto was: “Try for the Top!”

It was by coincidence the funeral of Mrs Douglas on Wednesday was two days after that of Osmond (Ossie) Mouchette.

Ossie’s younger brother, Edward Donley Mouchette’ after an absence of many years, returned to Bermuda from his retirement home in Arizona, for his brother’s last rites.

In a separate interview, Donley independently singled out Mrs Douglas as one of two teachers (the other, the late Mrs Louisa Richards) who inspired him most, giving him, as he put it, “a good start” for his iconic career, first as a Minister in the AME Church, then 30 years in the US Army, culminating with the rank of Colonel.