(On the occasion of the celebration of her Homegoing April 28th 2022)
Written by Dr. Ricardo Neil on behalf of the Immaculate Conception Catholic School – ICCS
We gather in the quiet of this sanctuary to pay our final tribute to a wonderful daughter of God, Mrs. Princess Margaret Hutchinson. We remember how she loved us and how we loved her and every encounter with her has become engraved in our memories. We believe that we will see her when we meet in Glory as she lived the life of a dedicated Christian. She epitomized the exhortation “Whatsoever Thy hand findeth to do, do it with Thy might, that God in all things may be glorified.”
Mrs. Princess Margaret Hutchinson’s years as Vice-Principal of the Immaculate Conception Catholic School have not gone unnoticed. Today we are reminded of the inestimable wealth of her contribution to education, not only to Immaculate Conception Catholic School, but to Cayon High School, the Caribbean Examination Council – CXC, the wider Caribbean, and the world. Her goal was to excel and pave the way for others to excel, and that is what she did.
From an administrative standpoint, she was among the best. Those of us who were fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with her can only wish that more administrators like her. Mrs. Hutchinson brought outstanding application to all the tasks that came her way in her capacity as vice principal. She had that unique gift of coining, shaping, and transforming every situation to produce optimum results beneficial to all parties involved.
Young teachers, fresh out of university were taken under her tutelage. She motivated and empowered them. She allowed them to grow, acknowledge and function within their purpose. She was a role model for us all and we cannot possibly carry on without living in reminiscence of the wonderful ways in which she touched and brightened our lives.
She used every opportunity to give us encouragement, recognizing that encouragement is oxygen to the soul. Sometimes dealing with young people must have been like pushing a dead elephant uphill, but Mrs. Hutchinson knew just how to mellow that process. She did not give up on anyone. She possessed the courage to state gracefully, the uncomfortable truths that other people might not want to acknowledge or voice, and that made us see ourselves capable of always being better.
Mrs. Hutchinson was a delightful and remarkable person – a woman of substance. She was never caught up in the mediocrity of life. She had a beauty of spirit and character that exuded like the rays of the sun.
In closing, I say, ‘your memory is our keepsake, with which we will never part. God has you in His keeping and we have you forever in our hearts.’
Thanks be to God who gave Mrs. Princess Margaret Hutchinson the victory through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.