Tribute to Lolita, a colleague who made my world brighter

I was shell-shocked for a few minutes and re-read the mail from our registry. There it was: the funeral arrangements of a colleague I had never met face to face, Lolita Macrill, yet someone who helped to ease my load. Goodness, I exclaim to Basil, when did all this happen? How? Did I miss a previous mail to inform us Lolita had passed on? All these questions raced through my head as I tried to process the death of a friend and colleague I had never ever seen.

I search my mailbox and there I find the mail: Lolita suffered a heart attack. I had missed that mail - somehow I had...
Immaculate service from Lolita
I am talking about Lolita Mackrill, our CEMIS Head office contact person. Whenever we were stuck with some administrative or technical problem regarding our central education management system, I would phone Lolita. Whenever the schools I serve struggled, I happily directed them to Lolita to assist. All our queries were managed professionally and whenever we spoke, Lolita would be cheerfulness itself. She was always just there; available on her landline or mobile, quickly solving your query. Public  relations officer supreme!

Lolita Mackrill - looking gorgeous and happy
We exchange photos
Lolita and I enjoyed our tele-exchanges. On one occasion when I had again consulted with Lolita, we agreed to exchange pictures so that we could see each other. We joked about having such a fantastic professional relationship and we may have been in each other’s company without knowing it, thus the need to share pictures.  That very day we exchanged pictures and there she was: sitting at her desk, surrounded by computers and papers. I never pictured her to be such a petite soul because her voice was sunny, so confident and so big for such a gentle, small-framed person.  We still joked in the mail about how our pictures may belie the real person and this was indeed the case.
And this was still our last exchange, on Monday, 20 February, 2012:
Hi Lolita

Aaaah... you're gorgeous and with brains to match.  Thanks for the pic; now I can also put a face to the name....

Have a stunning day.
Regards
Sharon

Hi Sharon

Stunning pic.  At least know I know who I am talking to.  Please find my pic attached.  It was taken in 2008/9....a much slimmer me.

Regards

Lolita
I remember telling or showing Helen, our Admin engine at our Circuit office, that I now know what Lolita looks like – the mystery of trying to imagine what she looked like was finally solved. I remember how happy both Helen and I were on this amazing discovery!
Then, today – this evening - I see this devastating mail- Lolita has left us to continue her spiritual journey.
Farewell, Friend...
Shakespeare’s words of the brevity of life run wild in my head. Life is so ironic and we so easily take things for granted – as if the sun will always shine forever. I have been blessed to have a colleague who knew the meaning of service, of sharing and of helping to shift those obstacles out of one’s way so that work and life can become more meaningful. That is how I will remember Lolita- making a difference without perhaps realizing her influence.
Thank goodness I had the opportunity to tell her how much her dedication was appreciated. Go well, Lolita, and thank you for sharing your gifts with us.

 

Comments

  1. Hi Sharon-Thanks for sharing this with us, what good memories you hold of Lolita.
    True to the word- BEAUTY & BRAINS-a real gem.
    Gone to Soon but will never be forgotten

    Domecia

    ReplyDelete

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