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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
Nassau, Bahamas – It is with deep sorrow that the Board of Directors of Sunshine Holdings Limited (SHL) confirms the passing of its Deputy Chairman, Mr. Alfred Bismark Coakley, M.B.E.
Mr. Coakley died in Doctors Hospital yesterday following a brief illness.
Mr. Coakley was a founding member of SHL and served as its first president from its incorporation before Independence. He served in that role until his retirement in 2009, at which time he assumed the role of deputy chairman of the board.
“He epitomized the mission of the group, namely to prove that persons of humble origins could cooperate to own and manage businesses,” said Chairman of Sunshine Holdings Limited, Franklyn Wilson.
“He worked tirelessly to cause the company to grow from $100,000 in capital to well in excess of $100 million, during which time, as president of Arawak Homes, he oversaw the delivery of thousands of homes to Bahamian families.”
SHL founding member, Bradley Roberts, remembered Mr. Coakley as a man who never forgot who he was and where he came from.
“From his humble beginnings on King Street, he never left. He never forgot his origins. Not a day passed when he didn’t go back to King Street and late in life, built a vacation home at Calabash Bay, Andros. His heart was in the right place,” said Mr. Roberts.
His quest for education was such that he enrolled in the first Executive MBA class of the University of Miami and earned that degree.
Beyond his service to the company, Mr. Coakley made a huge contribution to the wider society.
“He demonstrated the philosophy of the group and believed strongly in the idea of giving back to society rather than simply extracting. In his loyalty to that philosophy, his contributions to country are legendary.”
In the realm of youth development, Mr. Coakley was a founding member of Toastmasters International and an early member of the Jaycees.
More broadly, he served as a founding member of the Rotary Club of West Nassau, which, this year will celebrate its 48th anniversary.
He was a founding member of the Young Presidents Organization and a founding Director of Junior Achievement.
He served as president of the Chamber of Commerce for three years and as a director for many more.
In the area of civics, he served as director of the Cripple Children’s Committee, later renamed the Physically Challenged Children’s Committee.
He was a long and faithful member of St. Agnes Parish and served in numerous capacities, including Chairman of the Council of the Anglican Church Men.
During the course of his business career, he served on numerous corporate boards, including the Bahamas Electricity Corporation, Focol Holdings Ltd. (FOCOL), RoyalStar Assurance, Eleuthera Properties Ltd, Cotton Bay Development Ltd. and countless others.
In February 2015, Mr. Coakley was awarded the Lady Sassoon Golden Heart Award for his work with physically challenged children and helping his fellow man.
Mr. Wilson noted that Mr. Coakley will also be remembered for his legendary social events in celebration of Independence.
“From the Bahamas became independent, Billy Godet (now deceased) hosted a special celebration event. When Billy passed away in 1997, Mr. Coakley assumed the role of hosting that event and did so the following year in 1998. It brought together Bahamian males from all walks of life to celebrate the oneness and unity of this country,” he said.
“Each of the three prime ministers The Bahamas saw it as a virtue obligation to attend that celebration.”
© Copyright 2015 by thebahamasweekly.com
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