ANGELA Missouri Sherman-Peter, who held a series of senior diplomatic and public service roles, has died.

Tributes poured in for the diplomat, more commonly known as Missouri, who was a pioneer in many fields.

In a statement on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “We are deeply saddened by the death of Her Excellency Angela Missouri Sherman Peter, ODC, today in New York City, surrounded by her loved ones.”

Throughout her career, she served in several high-ranking posts, including Consul General in New York; Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations; High Commissioner to Canada and Non-Resident High Commissioner to Zimbabwe; and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Special Envoy.

She also held the position of assistant director in the Political Affairs Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat from 1994 to 1997.

At the United Nations, she served as Chef de Cabinet for the President of the 58th session of the General Assembly from 2003 to 2004.

In the Bahamian public service, she served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Ministry of National Security.

Her final post before retirement was as Ambassador and Permanent Observer for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to the United Nations.

In 2024, she was awarded the Order of Distinction in the Independence Honours.

In 2013, when she received the US Embassy’s International Women of Courage Award, she spoke of how her drive to help women “hold up half the sky and carry the weight of the world” was inspired by her mother, Effie LaFleur Sherman. Missouri had 15 siblings.

She said at the time: “The one lesson that is pivotal to me is that you will not always experience the world at its best; but if you do your best, and dedicate yourself to making a difference in the lives of others, you will, in my mother’s words, make your life count.”

In 2021, she told The Tribune she never saw a stove in her parents’ house until she was a teenager. She recalled how she and her sisters collected firewood for their outdoor kitchen, carrying it on their heads in a way she said contributed to their excellent posture.

She said: “We lived a very difficult life. Everything was handed down from one child to the next – all of our clothers, shoes (and other children at school would tease us for it). Everything was handed down except the brain – you had to have one of your own.”

Speaking about her career, she said: “You are doing your work for the good of the entire world, but always with your own country in mind. In multilateral relations, we are working for the betterment of people and countries across the globe. In bilateral relations, you are working on the relations between another country and your own. So, the work of diplomacy is for your country and the world.”