By PAUL G TURNQUEST

Chief Reporter

pturnquest@tribunemedia.net

HAVING lost her father only two days earlier, 17-year-old Charlsea Maynard remembers her father, Charles Maynard, as a vibrant individual who was always smiling.

His sudden death on Tuesday morning at 1.30am, the result of a heart attack, has sent shockwaves throughout the nation.

At the home of his parents Andrew and Isadora Maynard, friends and family members gathered yesterday to pay their respects to the former chairman of the Free National Movement who is being remembered by his eldest daughter as someone who literally gave his life to help others.

“I’m sure everyone will agree that losing a parent is never easy, especially someone who was so involved in your life,” Charlsea began.

“I will definitely remember my dad as a very vibrant person who was always smiling and always laughing with me. He kept my spirits up; even when we didn’t agree on something, because we both have strong personalities and that just made it even that more special.

“Our entire family is still coping with the loss. It is hard and we have times when we all break down. But everyday, every hour, it is getting easier.”

Charlsea said that she got the news of her father’s passing early on Tuesday morning. The previous day, she said, her father telephoned her four times to simply chat.

However, the young teenager said that she could sense that something was wrong but did not want to assume the worse.

“He was a really good dad. My little sister (Charnae) knew him and had him under her for five years but I had him for 17 years. I knew him before his political career took off and I knew him during it and I saw the good change in him. He really made all of us proud as a family with all that he was able to accomplish. Everywhere I go, people speak so well about him and that makes me feel better that not only did he impact my life, but he was able to impact the lives of everyone else.

“In my address to the opening of his constituency office earlier this year, I told the Bahamas, ‘look, I selflessly give my daddy to ya’ll’. We went a lot of days without seeing my daddy because of his commitment to the FNM and his calling to better the country, so the only thing that kept us going was that we knew it was for a greater good. And it was a lot of hard times knowing that people, who didn’t appreciate him, took up so much of his time. We used to fuss him for that, but we understand it now, because today many people are grieving because he touched them in the same way.

“Our family has had to sacrifice a lot just to better the country, but we know that it was to benefit future generations, and that helps - it genuinely does.”

Sending appreciation on behalf of the entire family, including her stepmother Zelena, for the many calls, visits and kind words, Charlsea asked that the nation keeps the family in its prayers.