Two close friends passed away early Wednesday morning (December 21) in the Intensive Care Unit at Doctors Hospital.
Barbara Smith (nee Malone) died at about 3am Wednesday at the age of 84 from toxic shock due to peritonitis from a ruptured appendix. Reg Lightbourn, 87, died about two hours later of a brain aneurysm, following a fall at home earlier in the day.
Mrs Smith was the eldest daughter of out island commissioner Ronald Malone (originally of Hope Town, Abaco) and Una Malone nee Higgs (of Spanish Wells, Eleuthera). She married Royal Air Force serviceman Roy Smith on Harbour Island in 1944.
Roy eventually became manager of a fledgling car dealership called Nassau Motor Company, while Barbara worked as a cashier for the City Meat Market, and a bookkeeper for the Lofthouse Group, which later became Island Merchants. They retired to Spanish Wells in 1985.
Mr Lightbourn was the son of Charles and Evelyn Lightbourn (of Lightbourn Lane, Nassau). He was a longtime charter boat captain and dockmaster at Brown's Boat Basin (founded by Sidney Brown in 1947).
From 1971 he worked at Sawyer's Food Products on Claridge Road, where he became notorious as “the candy man”. He married Norma Sawyer (nee Perpall) in 1975 and continued working cheerfully until the age of 80.
He died a few days before his 36th wedding anniversary and is survived by his wife, Norma (nee Perpall), three children (Deborah Mckellar, Susan Burnett and Jimmy Lightbourn), six grandchildren, and six great grandchildren.
Mrs Smith died a few days after her 84th birthday and 67th wedding anniversary. She is survived by her husband, Roy, brother-in-law (Doug), sister (Janice Kamrath), brother (Ronnie Malone), two children (Luanne Brown and Larry Smith), and three grandchildren.
A joint memorial service will be held at Ebenezer Methodist Church on Wednesday, December 28 at 11am. Mrs Smith will be buried on Friday, December 30 in the Methodist Churchyard at Spanish Wells. Mr Lightbourn will be cremated and his ashes scattered over the sea near Porgy Rocks.
