Family, friends, colleagues and members of the public gathered at Lyndhurst Funeral Home on Passage Road, St Michael on Sunday to pay their respects to Chief Fisheries Officer Dr Shelly-Ann Cox ahead of her official funeral on Monday.
Throughout the afternoon, mourners quietly filed through the chapel to view the body, sign condolence books and offer support to her family.
(From left) Dr Cox’s grandmother, Elsa Spencer; her father, Marvon Cox; and FAO Fishery Industry Officer Dr Yvette Diei Ouadi. (LE)
Among those receiving condolences was her father, Marvon Cox, who described his daughter as an extraordinary person whose true impact has become even more evident since her passing.
“Shelly was an amazing girl… I mean amazing with a capital A,” he said. “She [was] the type of person that would go above and beyond just to make people comfortable, just to make people happy. She loved people.”
He admitted that the weeks since her death have revealed just how many lives she touched.
“I believe these are people who came in contact with her, whether by working with her, whether by being a student of hers or interacting with her in some way, whether at the Fisheries Division or the boat owners. All those people have said a lot of good things about Shelly, and I am now beginning to see that she was much more than I thought.”
Reflecting on the day he learnt of his daughter’s passing, Cox recalled receiving a phone call that changed his family’s life forever.
“It was almost unbelievable when I heard what the other person on the other side of the phone was actually saying. I just couldn’t believe it.”
Despite the pain, he said his faith has carried him through the difficult weeks.
“I was able to stand up to it because I am a man that knows God. God helped us to get through things, get over things, and He keeps you… So I have been able to remain strong from then up to this point.”
Dr Cox died suddenly on June 13 at the age of 38. She had assumed duties as Chief Fisheries Officer in early January 2023, becoming the youngest person to hold the post and only the second woman in the Caribbean to do so.
Her death prompted an outpouring of tributes from colleagues, members of the fishing community, former students and others who praised her leadership, compassion and commitment to the development of Barbados’ fisheries sector. (LE)
