Marita Elizabeth Thompson lived a blessed and impeccably fulfilling life.

Once the announcement of her death was published to the Bermudian community, it was as if we had lost and uprooted a plank in the iconic Somerset Bridge.

She was indeed a person beloved by many individuals in her community. She was also a person that exuded substance, poise, charm and intelligence.

An overflowing crowd of 1,000 or more mourners, encompassing every social strata in the community, showed up to pay homage and last respects to her last Sunday, February 21 at the New Testament Church of God Heritage Worship Centre. Several family members participated in the order of service. The officiating pastor was Michelle R Hill. Scriptures in honour of the deceased were read by her nieces, Monica Bailey and Chyna Donawa.

Marita was the seventh of ten children born of the union of Gladys Bailey of Sandys Parish and Hugh Bailey, who emigrated to Bermuda from the island of Antigua in the early 1920s. Marita grew up at the family homestead in Bob’s Valley in the heart of Somerset.

She, along with her siblings, attended West End Primary School, which was a stone’s throw from the family residence. Marita subsequently attended the former Prospect Secondary School for Girls. Her principal was the late Dorothy Thompson.

Marita’s professional career commenced in 1971. She spent the majority of it — three-and-a-half decades — as a civil servant, working at the General Post Office. In 1986 she moved to the Mangrove Bay Post Office in the sleepy village of Somerset. She remained there as post mistress until she retired a few years ago.

Most of the members of her local community can indeed give testament of her professional competence and glowing personality, and of the manner in which she treated her customers.

Marita’s dedication to public and community service was highlighted in the glowing obituary delivered by Paula Cox.

The former premier spoke of Marita’s longstanding service as a member of the Progressive Labour Party. Further tributes in her honour were delivered by Dianne Roberts, Lovitta Foggo and Winston Bailey, who described her work as a founding member of the West End Jaycees and a member of the Sandys Kiwanis Club. Both organisations honoured her with community service awards.

Marita was also honoured by the Sandys Parish Council for her outstanding and dedicated service to the parish. She provided Christmas hampers for less fortunate members of the community over a period of 30 years and was a founding member of Moments of Consciousness, a community organisation which assists families impacted by substance abuse.

Marita was a consummate traveller. She had on frequent occasions visited her late father’s ancestral home in Antigua where see acquainted herself with distant relatives and community members, all of whom embraced her warm and fervent personality. One trip of special feature was her visit to the Panama Canal in Central America.

Her father was a construction worker on this historical engineering project prior to his eventual travel to Bermuda. Independent of her five sisters, Marita also shared enduring and loving relationships with her three brothers — the late Donald Bailey, Joseph “Joe” Bailey, the former Cup Match cricketer and former captain of the Somerset Cricket Team and Edward Bailey, a prominent attorney and acting magistrate, and past president of the Bermuda Cricket Board.

Marita was very maternal and indeed graciously loving to her former husband, the late Ira Thompson. They had two children, Mario and Zoleta, and numerous grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She lovingly intervened in every aspect of their lives without being overtly obtrusive, and rendered her opinion wherever it was deemed necessary or appropriate. Perhaps she could be regarded as being fair, but firm and above all, loving and inspiring.

The Holy Scriptures truly confirm that “many are called but few are chosen”. Marita was a devout and upstanding Christian. She was a spirit-filled believer who touched the hearts of many members of her community.

Marita will indeed be lovingly missed by her family and friends, and more particularly she will be missed by her beloved fiancé Rudolph “Rudy” Richardson, who played a dedicated and instrumental role in her life as a loving and trustworthy companion.