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BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS-NEVIS — The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis remembers with deep respect and gratitude the remarkable life and legacy of Iona Amanda Edgings, a veteran educator, accomplished pianist and organist, skills instructor, mentor and community stalwart whose service touched generations.

Born on January 2, 1929, Edgings devoted much of her life to education, music, faith and community development.

Her journey in education began extraordinarily early. After gaining two Seventh Standard Certificates, she enrolled at New River School and, in 1943, at just 14 years old, began teaching as a pupil teacher.

That was only the beginning.

In 1949, Edgings attended Spring College in Antigua, where she distinguished herself in handicraft while also earning a Second Class Teacher’s Certificate.

Over the decades that followed, she served at numerous schools throughout St. Kitts and Nevis, helping to shape the academic and personal development of countless young people.

Her teaching assignments included New River Primary School, Sandy Point Primary School, Basseterre Boys School, Basseterre Junior High School at Burden Street and Park Range, Cayon All Age School, Verchilds High School and Saddlers High School.

Her contribution extended far beyond the traditional classroom.

Edgings also worked with prisoners and young people through skills-development initiatives, sharing practical knowledge and encouraging individuals to develop talents that could improve their lives.

Music was another major pillar of her remarkable story.

Having learned the pianoforte at an early age, Edgings became an accomplished pianist and organist. For many years she taught piano and typing, passing on valuable skills to another generation of students.

Her musical gifts were also closely connected to her Christian faith.

A devoted member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, she served as a pianist and organist at Adventist congregations throughout St. Kitts and Nevis, contributing to worship and church life for many years.

Edgings was also known for her exceptional handicraft abilities. She taught practical creative skills alongside the traditional foundations of education, leaving students with lessons that extended well beyond reading, writing and arithmetic.

Her legacy can therefore be measured not simply in the number of classrooms in which she taught, but in the generations of people who benefited from her patience, discipline, musical instruction, creativity, faith and commitment to service.

While she may not have been among those formally decorated with some of the Federation’s principal statutory national honours, her contribution received recognition and appreciation within the wider community, where she became known as one of the dedicated educators whose quiet work helped build the nation.

For Times Caribbean, the story of Iona Amanda Edgings is the story of an era when teaching was more than an occupation.

It was service.

It was mentorship.

And it was nation-building.

From beginning her teaching career at only 14 years old to serving schools across the Federation, working with youth and prisoners, teaching music and practical skills, and enriching the Seventh-day Adventist community through her musical talents, Edgings leaves behind an extraordinary record of dedication.

Times Caribbean extends heartfelt condolences to the family, relatives, former students, church family, friends and all whose lives were touched by Iona Amanda Edgings.

Her classroom may now be silent, but the lessons remain.

Her music lives on.

And her contribution to St. Kitts and Nevis will long be remembered.