SOME of the good old days of service in the Bermuda Militia Artillery (BMA) were brought alive with the passing just after Christmas of 80-year-old former Sergeant Bobby Lewis. His real name was Milton Eric Hewlett Lewis. But that was known only to a select few outside of officialdom and his close-knit family.

Leading the tributes to Lewis at his funeral Sunday at St. James Anglican Church, Somerset was former Commanding Officer of the Bermuda Regiment, Lt-Colonel Eugene Raynor, (Rt).

He related how at age 19 he, Raynor, enlisted in the BMAs and found himself under the wings of some really solid men. One of them was the soon-to-become Sergeant Bobby, a soldier who impressed him from the outset.

"I walked in his footsteps and his shadow. He worked us hard; set the example and got results," said the Colonel, recalling, "it was no 'push over' for recruits in those days in training and on marches from dawn to dusk and beyond. Bobby encouraged me, slapped me on the back, shouted at me."

The history of the Bermuda Militia, incidentally, dates back to 1892 when the Bermuda Legislature made provisions for the formation of the unit comprised initially three Militia Officers (white) and 100 Other Ranks (coloured), to quote from the official record.

So for all practical purposes, the BMAs were a coloured or black unit, led by white officers.

That was, of course until 1953 when former Company Sergeant-Major Francis B. Pereira became the first black commissioned officer in the local forces, being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.

Now back to the tribute to Bobby Lewis that Col. Raynor addressed to the packed congregation at St. James Church. He said it was soldiers like Lewis and others he mentioned by name, such as, "The Black Prince, Reuben Alias" (who passed recently) and Sergeant Carlyle Crockwell (who attended Lewis' funeral) who made things happen in the BMAs in the early sixties, leading up the Amalgamation of the Units (the BMAs and the Bermuda Rifles (white) in 1965).

Whilst at the outset of his career he had to salute Sergeant Lewis, as the seniority gap developed, the Colonel concluded, "it was a great degree of pride I felt always returning the salute to Bobby." Lewis served 16 years in the Militia, retiring with the Long Service and Good Conduct Medals.

His flag-draped coffin was interred in the Royal Artillery Cemetery in St. George's, with a bugler sounding the traditional Last Post and Reveille. Further tributes to the old soldier were paid at the wake that followed at the Royal Artillery Club.

Milton was born April 23, 1927, the fourth child of George and Lucy Lewis of Somerset. He was semi-orphaned at an early age when his father passed, resulting in his having to go to work early to help support the family.

He married Mary Pierre Ponteen in July 1948. She passed away in 2004. Their union produced two daughters Barbara Lewis Mills and Eileen Ayesha Abdur-Rahman, and sons Thomas Lewis, who came from his home in Connecticut for the funeral; and Philip Milton Lewis, who is deceased.

Barbara Lewis Mills is the well-known president of the Bermuda Business and Professional Women Association and past president of Somerset Kiwanis Club. She is a beautician and partner in Salon Designs at Manchester Street, Somerset.

Daughter Eileen recently retired after long service as a secretary at the headquarters of the Amalgamated Bermuda Union of Teachers. Her husband is Imam Wayne Waheed, of the Masjid Muhammad, Cedar Avenue.

THE congregation of Bethel AME Church, Shelly Bay is in deep mourning over the sudden passing of their associate Pastor, the Rev. Philip Llewellyn Knights (pictured below). He reportedly succumbed at age 68, while mowing the lawn at his Hamilton Parish home, preparatory for a departure on the Eve of Christmas, with his wife Gloria to spend the Yuletide with family in the US.

Rev. Knights was the right-hand man to Bethel's Pastor, the Rev. Malcolm Eve who is also the Presiding Elder of AME Churches in Bermuda. The Elder was so grief stricken at the funeral he was just barely able to get through with the obituary. Members from all parts of the Bermuda Conference were in attendance. Tributes were paid by niece Yvonne Simmons representing the family; Dr. Shan-Gri-La Durham Thompson on behalf of the Sunday School, to which Rev. Knights was intensely dedicated; and Gladys Furbert on behalf of the church. He was also cited for his 19 years service in a prison ministry.

Philip was born May 3, 1938, the second child of Ursula Busby Knights. He lost his father at a tender age, resulting in his having to spend his childhood years at The Haven. He attended Central School. At age 13, he was able to return to the family home in Southampton, joining his brothers and sisters, Henry, Richard, Winnie, Joan, Betty and David. He was both an ambitious and industrious youth.

He went to work to work to help support the family, delivering groceries from Hamilton to the Fairylands area on his bicycle that had a large basket in the front. On occasion fearing he would not be able to get from his home to start his job in Hamilton on time, he would ride to East Broadway, park, and then sleep in the trees. The next morning he was bright and early for his job. At age 19 he was able to get work on the liner Queen of Bermuda, which enabled him to travel to New York and England.

On August 11, 1960 Philip married Gloria Bean. Their union produced three children, Lucinda (Cindy), Angela and Darren. In 1970 he moved his family from Southampton to Smith's Parish and later to Hamilton Parish in order to be closer to his job with the American Maytag Corporation at the U.S. Naval Air Station. After many years at Maytag he was promoted manager. But before he accepted the position, he requested that all employees receive a secured retirement profit sharing plan.

In order for this proposal to be effected, it was necessary for a Bill to go through the U.S. Congress. Significantly, the Bill was passed, under Philip Knights' name, enabling all Maytag Aircraft employees both in Bermuda and the United States to benefit from it. He also received letters from various Captains of the US Navy commending him for exceptional service, diligence, expert abilities and consistent outstanding and professional performances.Philip worked for Maytag for 36 years, retiring in 1995. He then worked for IBC Couriers until his second retirement in August 2006.

THE family and friends of former Central School and Berkeley Institute graduate Lorna-Jean Margaret Postlethwaite have every reason to be extremely proud of her academic achievements. Nine days before Christmas she received her Doctorate in Special Education at the 2006 Commencement Convocation of South Carolina State University.

Dr. Lorna-Jean (pictured below) hosted no less than five aunts, some uncles and several cousins among others, who journeyed to Orangeburg, South Carolina, mostly from Bermuda, and elsewhere to witness the bestowing of her credentials. Later they participated in a gala reunion and "re-hooding" event at one of the city's leading hotels. Cousins from Bermuda playing prominent roles at the gala were teacher Gail Williams, the Mistress of Ceremonies and Rev. Donnamae Postlethwaite, who invoked blessings at both the beginning and end of the programme.

Though married to her devoted husband Kenneth Whittenburg of South Carolina, and the mother of daughter Shy'ynne, Dr. Lorna-Jean has kept her professional name of Postlethwaite. She has been a frequent visitor to her native Bermuda while pursuing her career in the South. She is employed as a specialist teacher of specialist teachers.

The dissertation for her Doctorate was, Availability of Supportive Induction and Mentoring Services for Special Education Teachers in South Carolina.

Prominent among those joining Dr. Postlethwaite at the graduation were her husband, daughter and her mother, Mrs. Margaret Postlethwaite; her brother Eugene Posthlethwaite, Jr., who resides in South Carolina.; aunt Mrs. Cynthia Postlethwaite and Rev. Donnamae Postlethwaite, both of Pembroke. Also joining in the celebration from Bermuda were aunt and uncle Earlston and Dorothy Tucker; aunt and uncle Winslow and Edith Cox; aunt and uncle Wesley and Kathy Williams; aunt Mrs. Rosalyn Sheppard of New York; and cousins Norman and Dorleen Smith; Webster and Gail Williams and Jay Matthews, all of Bermuda.