TO MY VERY DEAR FRIEND, ELVA PATRICIA ANN RUSSELLROLLE

In 1965 I was employed at the Bank of Nova Scotia, Wulff Road and East Street Branch. My co-workers included Anthony Allen, Arthur Chase, Sterling Quant, Judy Coakley, Alpheus Jones, Mary Moss, Olga Brown and Elva Russell. We were like family. Elva and I grew closer to each other and soon became very good friends. In later years, we often reminisce fondly about our times at Scotia, in and outside of the bank.

To save money, Elva and I never bought lunch. We ate together every day at either her family home through Toote Shop Corner, or at my family home on Kenwood Street. We became like family. We also often visited each other’s homes after work and ate dinner together. Elva loved my mother’s cooking, as mummy was from Turks Island and prepared different foods than Elva was used to. She perfected some of these recipes and after mummy’s death - I’d have to call Elva to get the recipe. She used to say to me in her strong, distinctive Elva Russell voice, “Ya TOO wutless; you should know these things’ ‘.

After several years at the bank, we decided to go off to school to become certified secretaries. We attended The Levitan School of Business in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While there, we lived in separate homes. In those days, Elva couldn’t comb her own hair so every morning I would comb her hair before we caught the bus. During our time there we met many people, young and old, who became lifelong friends. They included three sisters who lived on the same street as we did who took us under their wings and treated us like family. Elva stayed in contact with the children of these lovely ladies for many, many years and kept me up to date as to what was going on in their lives.

Our Philly friends introduced us to cabarets and the theatre. At the cabarets, we saw a lot of entertainers from the United States and abroad. We enjoyed them all. At one point, a group of our Philly friends came to visit The Bahamas. Elva, some other friends and I showed them a wonderful time, which included visiting every night-club that was open and finishing off the night/morning with the true Nassau tradition of a greasy Keith’s chicken in the bag.

After graduating from Levitan, we returned home. I went back to banking while Elva, deciding that banking wasn’t her passion, pursued a career in broadcasting. She qualified in that area at Graham Junior College in Boston and when completed, she came back home and began her career at ZNS… a job which she loved and excelled at.

Over the years, we remained close friends and had so very many good times together. In the meantime, I got married and lived on Christopher Street where we hosted many parties and had a lot of fun.

Elva became very interested in gardening and joined garden clubs to ensure that she learned everything she could. In later years she became interested in vegetable gardening and often boasted about her produce.

Elva loved life and enjoyed it with family and friends. She also loved politics! I remember how during the campaigns, after joining the FNM, no matter what time she got home at night, she would call me and then Miriam or vice versa and neither of us could get a word in edgewise! She was determined to get first, Boozie and then, any other candidate elected.

Elva attended church regularly and prior to me becoming a regular church-goer, there wasn’t a single Sunday she didn’t call to ask me if I was going to church - to which I always replied “yes” regardless of my true intentions because I didn’t want to be reprimanded by her. As she was a couple years older than I am, that gave her the right to boss me around.

Elva and I both were very supportive of each other and our families. Many wonderful memories of my life include Elva Russell-Rolle. She was god-mother to my eldest son, Adrian, and I’m godmother to her daughter Tracee, but it’s just like we were god-parents to all our children.

Elva loved her family, her mother, Inez, Pa Russ, Ethelyn, Bruce, Angela, Ormand, Marlon, Garry and Patrenda. Elva acted as though she was the eldest - always in charge. She was called Lady Ann by her dear, late mother.

Elva also loved her husband, her girls, Tracee and Gemma and her prince, Andrew. She also loved Miquela and always spoke very highly of them all.

Andrew and my sons, Anwar and Ari, grew up like brothers and spent and continue to spend lots of time together. When they were younger, Andrew often wanted to come to our house to spend the night with my boys. Those evenings, I would pick Andrew up from home after work. Elva used to carry on so badly about her one boy, as I drove this precious cargo (Andrew) home to my house, I prayed continuously for safe passage. Once we got home, I then prayed continuously that no harm would come to him (at any time) but particularly not while under my watch.

When the grandchildren started coming, Elva was in her glory. Though I didn’t see them much, I knew all about their progress academically and socially. She had a special love for them and was very proud of them.

In recent months, Elva said that she wasn’t feeling well and was putting out her best for her children and grandchildren. In spite of her not feeling well, she still was determined to water her plants every day and to do whatever she could to help out with the grandchildren.

She always found time to check on her friends, wanting to know that we were okay. Many people know her as a radio and tv personality however, I knew her as a friend whom I loved and appreciated.

I am so grateful that God allowed Elva and I to get to know each other. Though she’s gone now, she will never be forgotten by those of us who knew and loved her. These memories live on in our hearts.

So long my very dear friend. Take your rest and I will see you again in heaven.

Love, Rista!

MY BELOVED...

I will always cherish the memories and the good times, too many to mention.

You will live on in my heart. Even though I am hurting now, I am finding comfort in listening to your voice notes, watching your videos and reading our many, many WhatsApp conversations.

Oh how I wish you could have stayed with us a while longer because I’m not ready to say goodbye. You will be missed. Love always, “Sara Lee”

The greatest trees can grow from the smallest acorns. My friendship with Elva started in a similar way. From this small acorn, a friendship blossomed into one of the strongest imagined. It spanned children, grandchildren, schools, the passing of parents and siblings, politics, tea parties, celebrations of every kind, online shopping, gardening, and many other interests.

I met Elva fifty years ago in the ‘Eastern District’ when I moved into the neighborhood where she was residing with her husband Anthony (Boozie), and daughters Tracee and Gemma. Andrew, her prince, came along a few years later. This was at a time when neighbors paid particular care and attention for one another.

There were many stories or experiences that occurred between us over the years, but there is one that I will never forget. My son Paul was born during the last week of February, and I returned to work the first week of May. Due to a series of unexpected events, I had to dismiss my housekeeper and had no one available to keep Paul while at work.

This is where my friend Elva came to the rescue. She was heavily pregnant with Andrew and having some difficulties with her pregnancy, but she offered to keep Paul until I could find a replacement. She knew many people who were willing to assist her whenever she needed them and they supplied her with the names of persons for me to contact and interview. In the end, I hired the one that I thought was suitable and she remained with my family for many years. This is just one of the many examples illustrating how resourceful Elva was.

She was a great person who had an opinion on just about everything and she was an icon ahead of her time. She was not shy to share her thoughts and she gave great advice. Elva would encourage you to do your best and she was there if you needed her. She was generous to a fault. She was kind, considerate, loyal, helpful, and dependable.

I will miss Elva dearly and I will cherish every moment that we spent together. I am confident that she is in a better place and I will draw on the experiences we shared over our many years of friendship.

May she rest in peace.

Paula Small