A group of professional Bermudian women have returned from Antigonish, Nova Scotia where they joined hundreds of residents from all walks of life in paying final tribute to the late Dr. Dorothy I. A. Thompson.

Speaking on behalf of the group, social worker Ms. Jennifer Manders of West Side, Somerset, said it was absolutely clear that "Bermuda's Dr. Thompson had made a wonderfully positive impact on that Nova Scotian community of approximately 12,000 residents through her wide ranging involvement.

Her funeral on June 5, at St.Ninian's Roman Catholic Cathedral, was the culmination of the town's two-day tribute to the former principal of old Prospect Secondary School for Girls in Bermuda.

Ms Manders said: "The prayers, together with the great outpouring of respect, admiration and affection during two periods of viewing on June 4, and the funeral mass brought enormous, even overwhelming joy, comfort and pride to Dr. Thompson's family and friends.

"Virtually everyone spoke in some way, often with tears, of her delightfully charismatic and positively-persuasive educator-leadership, the warmth of her common touch, her kindness; her wisdom, her humility, her love for children and her deep respect for all humanity."

Dr. Thompson's first years in Antigonish, in the late 1980s were spent working as a faculty member of the St. Francis Xavier University. She taught in the Adult Education Department until she reached the age for retirement; but until the end, she was held in very high regard by the University family.

She was an active supporter of the work of the Coady International Institute, established by St. Francis Xavier University in 1959, and named for Rev. Dr. Moses Coady. The Institute works with innovative people and organisations to create effective, practical and sustainable solutions to reduce global poverty and injustice. Coady accomplishes this through leadership education, action partnerships, and research. The Institute also engages in initiatives to help young Canadians become active global citizens.

However, Dr. Thompson's community involvement was not at all limited to the University setting. She was a very actively involved member of the St. Ninian's church family. She worshipped there daily, serving as an eloquent Reader of scripture at services; as a member of several church boards and committees; and as a Catholic Christian Doctrine (CCD) teacher, preparing many of the parish's young people for confirmation in the Roman Catholic Christian faith. She was a member of the Catholic Women's League and involved herself with many through prayer groups, spiritual retreats and endless small acts of kindness – which often involved her legendary and award-winning baking efforts.

She was a valuable community volunteer.

In Bermuda, as a young girl, Dorothy Thompson attended Central School and the Berkeley Institute. She received teacher training at Toronto Normal School and attained a B.A. degree from McMaster University in 1953. She taught at the Central School (now Victor Scott). Later she achieved a PGCE in London, after which she became the principal of the Prospect Secondary School for Girls (PSSG), which had been established in 1958.

Ms Manders, in her tribute, said she served brilliantly at PSSG until returning to Canada, where she achieved Master of Arts and Doctor of Education degrees at the University of Toronto. Miss Dorothy Thompson has positively influenced the lives of many of the women who attended "Prospect" under her leadership. They fondly and gratefully remembered her with such words as "Dorothy was the Queen Mother, the Matriarch. A Special Kind of Lady! An esteemed "Daughter of the Soil, a Bermudian heroine and a true gift from God to His world."

Dr. Thompson's ashes will be brought to Bermuda by her family to take their final rest in September, 2010.

A Roman Catholic memorial service is planned, to be followed by a time for tribute-paying, remembrance and fellowship. Ms Manders stated details will be announced closer to the time; however, if further information was desired, one may e-mail: bermudabev@msn.com