In the Year 1940, Winston Churchill became PrimeMinister of Great Britain and a gallon of gas in the United States cost 11cents. On July 30, of that year, while many significant events were occurringaround the world, in the land of aquamarine waters and pristine beaches, on theisland of New Providence in the Bahamas, Eunice Darling and Charles Farringtonwere celebrating the birth of their only child, my mummy, Brenda Caroline. Lifebecame exciting for these young parents, and they quickly embraced theassignment of raising righteous seed.
HER DEVELOPMENTAL YEARS….
Education was not an option with my grandparents, andmummy was given the supportive environment by her team to be a keen student anda passionate learner. She attended Southern Primary, Junior and Senior schools,and the platform of a lifelong learner was established, as she loved school andembraced every opportunity to learn something new. Her passion for learning andher budding leadership skills was noticed by her teachers and she was appointedas a “Pupil Teacher” during her last year in high school. After graduation, sheenrolled in the C I Gibson Institute and completed additional certificatecourses. Poised and equipped for the world of work, Mummy began her work lifejourney at Sterling Building, and then moved on to Millers Real Estate, John S.George, Cunningham Dry Goods and the crowning jewel in her career crown was thetwenty two years serving as the Senior Executive Secretary at the University ofthe West Indies Centre for Hotel and Tourism Management, Nassau Campus.
HER LOVE SONG……
Mummy’s graceand beauty captured the heart of the debonaire Enoch Emmanuel Cunningham whileriding his bicycle on Bay Street, and onDecember 21, 1960 Mummy said “I do” andthey enjoyed 45 years of loving, laughter and living, until Daddy transitionedto his heavenly home on March 14, 2006. God blessed my parents with three gems,my big brother Mark( everyone calls him Andy), their only daughter( that’s me)and my baby brother Dwight. Our home was a warm, fuzzy place to be, and it wasalways filled with good food, lots of people and almost daily times of prayerand family devotions. Mummy epitomized the Proverbs 31 woman, and she not onlymothered her three biological children, but found room in her heart and time todedicate to adopting our friends and my cousins who became daughters and sonsto her. I never saw a bakery building erected with her name on it, and therewas never a commercial oven in our house, but my mummy perfected a pound cakethat no bakery on this planet could compete with. I could never figure out howthe cake was perfect every time, and she never had a “bad cake day”. I believe this “cake mantel” has been placedon my shoulders now, but the jury is still out on that.
HER MINISTRY
Mummy’s foundational years of spiritual grooming werespent at the Ernest Street Church of God of Prophecy (COGOP) where mygrandmother Eunice Darling was an active member, but after Daddy stole herheart she followed her husband to the Shirley Street COGOP( then Lyon Road).There was never a moment that Mummy was not busy doing the work of the Lord. Atthe Shirley Street church she served as the Assistant Youth Director(VLB),Children’s Ministry Director, Sunday School Teacher, Public Relations Director,Care Leader, Church Secretary, Free Literature Representative, Choir Member andVacation Bible School Coordinator. As apassionate lifelong learner, she completed all of the course offered by theInternational Church’s Bible Training Institute. Nationally she served her church as theConvention Clerk and a member of the Convention Housing Committee. Oneconvention we had eleven (11) Tomlinson College students spending a week at ourhouse. Mummy cooked and entertained as if she was the Manager of a 5 starhotel.
When her son, Timothy began pastoring, she shiftedgears from front line ministry to partnering with us in shepherding God’speople. Mummy was our number one cheerleader and prayer warrior, and she nevermissed an opportunity to be in the house of the Lord, even when she was notfeeling one hundred percent. During ouryears as Caribbean and National Youth Directors, Mummy never missed aconference and when we travelled her ticket was the first one purchased and hersuitcase was packed days ahead of the scheduled departure time. She needed fivedays to pack as every outfit had to be coordinated with all of the matchingaccessories for this Diva, always was a show stopper. Mummy loved the Lord and her unshakeablefaith, is what I witnessed daily. She inspired me to trust God in all things.
HER TIME OF TRANSITION….
Mummy was called so much to so many. To her children,she answered to Mummy. To her grandchildren she answered to Nana. To her sonsand daughters she answered to Mum Brenda or Ms. Bambi. To her nieces andnephews she answered to Benna or Aunt Brenda. To her God children she answeredto Goddie. To her church family she answered to Ma B or Sister Cunningham. Toothers she answered to Mrs. Cunningham or simply Brenda. While sitting in theEmergency Room at Doctors Hospital, while waiting on a bed on the 4thfloor, at 10:18am on August 25, 2021, mummy answered to the name called by herLord and Savior, “Daughter” come home. A few hours before, her grand daughter,Avery witnessed her raising her hand and seemingly grabbing on to the air infront of her, curling her fingers as if she was grabbing on to something. Averyasked her “Nana, what are you doing?” Mummy responded with a chuckle, “Oh youwatching me aye?” Avery could not see the hands that were reaching down to graba hold of Mummy’s hands… she was being received into her heavenly home by theSavior that she loved and lived for all of her life. Mummy lived gracefully andpeacefully and likewise she exchanged her worn robe of flesh for a new body,gracefully and peacefully.
Sleep on Queen B, you finished strong!
Celebrating Mummy’s life and cementing her legacy are:
Her gifts from God: Mark(Andy) and Annamae Cunningham, Minister Deanne and Pastor TimothyJohnson, Dwight and Dr. Joanne Cunningham
Grandchildren: Avery, Aaron, Dr. Mica, Monika, Corey, Meir
Adopted daughters: Cora Colebrooke, Yvette Montgomery,Letarsha Cleare, Marva Williams, Marcella Dean, Eureka Rolle
Sisters-in-love : Dorcas Bain, Sandra Cunningham
Nieces and Nephews-in-love: Arlene(Sean) Thompson,Robertha(Pastor Alonzo) Dixon, Marion(Preston)Pratt, Shervonne(Rudolph) Wilson,Adra(Stafford)Springer
Nephews and Nieces-in-love: Mervin(Melissa) Bain,Bernard Bain, Antoine Cunningham, Kevin(Tina) Cunningham, Pastor Gerald(Ella)Bowe, Pastor Franklyn(Sharon) Bowe
Grand and great grand nieces: Ashleigh Thompson,Kvashti, Kershante, Kiara Springer, Barbara and Madleyn Bowe, Kaylessa andKatia Cunningham, Sharon North, Nicole Bowe, Lance and Ian Dixon, Victor andRandy Bowe, Rudolph Jr and Jaden Wilson, Matthew Bain, Spencer and Wesley Pratt,Vince, Valentino, Vaugh and Alphonso Bowe, Drew Springer
Extended Family: Beatrice Ferguson, Percival “Summer” Johnson, Kevin and KristinColebrooke, Dorlan, Kaylisa, Krystle and Dorlan Jr. Curtis, Gerrard andShaundra Sawyer, Loniece and Ricardo Miller, Lavonne Ferguson, Taylor Cleare, JermainPratt, Darrel and Marie Johnson, Jamaal Johnson, Vana and Paulaka Roach, Ellakaand Phil Clarke, Donovan Lynch, Ruth Montgonery, Allan and Willa Bea Smith
God Children: Joycelyn Taylor, SherdineStevens-Fortune, Kristin Clarke
Cousins and their families: Eleanor Allen, ArnetteChisolm, Hollie Johnstone, Frederick Moss, Elvia Strachan and siblings, thechildren of Ellen and Uhijah Johnson, the children of Henry and WillamaeMiller, the children of Hilda McBride,Althea Bonaby, Winifred Beacham, Estella Cox, Energene Simms, Bishop DeanzaCunningham, Bishop Arthur and Paula Wilson, Tony and Walline Williams, thechildren of Gwendolyn Williams, Portia and Steve Barnett
Kingdom Connections: Bishop Anthony Roker, BishopAndrew and Naquel Brown, Pastor Randolph and Laverne Curtis and the BaillouHill Road COGOP family especially the Ladies Ministry, Bishop Dwight and PamelaFerguson and the Elizabeth Estates COGOP, Bishop Ghaly and Angela Swann and theEnglerston COGOP family, Pastor Dale Moss and the Shirley Street COGOP family
Other Relatives and Friends: Minister Patricia Bethel,Elaine and Glenroy Aranha, Lemmie and Dick Malcom, Louanne Saunders, Keva Ryan,Barbara and Ishamel Rolle, Jackie and Shane Gibson, Sheila and BernardMunroe, staff of the Dialysis Centerespecially Nurse Munroe and Tracey. Special thanks to Dr. Kevin and Dr. AdrianSawyer
