Mrs. Lydia

A Belizean icon passed away yesterday. As one of the founders of the Belize Audubon Society, Mrs. Lydia was intimately involved in lobbying efforts that resulted in the creation of Belize's first natural monument, Half Moon Caye, and other protected natural areas in the 1980s.

Mrs Lydia managed the BAS library and served as its Board Secretary for many years until retiring in the mid-1990s. I had the privilege of working with her at BAS, and will always treasure the countless discussions that we had back then. Mrs. Lydia was an avid birding enthusiast; I became an amateur birder because of her. I learned a lot from her, and for that I will be forever grateful.

A sage advice that she reminded me about many times: "Take your Seven Seas daily, Osmany. If you do so, you will rarely get sick and will live a long life". Mrs. Lydia must have followed her own advice because she lived for 103 years. Mrs Lydia -- gone but never to be forgotten.

My condolences to the Waight and Price family.

Mrs. Lydia is predeceased by her husband and first President of the Belize Audubon Society, Mr. James A. Waight; and by her brother and Belize's first Premier and Prime Minister, the Right Honorable George Cadle Price.

(Photo: courtesy BAS.)