Rosalind was born in the coastal village
of Anjuna in Goa on the Arabian Sea. Her early years living and growing up in
Catholic Goa and the famous Anjuna beach with its ‘laid back’ atmosphere
certainly influenced Rosalind’s appetite for strong values, a good life of
traditional cuisine, fun, and adventure. Rosalind was the only girl amidst her
brothers. With her violinist father’s support of the Choir at St Michael’s
Church, Rosalind grew her own talent with singing both at church and social
gatherings. With her mother, she enjoyed the love of flowers, especially the
Jasmin which they used to make into garlands. Rosalind married Rui Mascarenhas
who was from Mombasa, on 20th January 1958. Their early married life started in
Dar es Salaam during the '60s. Life with husband Rui’s cousins created
delightful memories.
Egged on with Rosalind as a daring
crusader, the families enjoyed beach gatherings and feasting on authentic
home-produced delights. Rosalind was but a young mother and of course had a
zest for life and play when she first came to Mombasa in 1966. With husband Rui
and her four boys, they lived in an apartment on the floor above where Rui’s
parents and siblings had been living. The warmth of the extended families
across two dwellings was a lifestyle that was reminiscent of village Goa.
Rosalind and family were soon part of the Barry Road neighbourhood in Ganjoni.
She took part in street games like seven tiles, hopscotch, cricket and many a
game punctuated by a quick halt to let the traffic go by. Rosalind’s love of
cooking, especially traditional Goan sweets made her even more popular.
These were the early years of Kenya’s
independence from Britain. Most Goan and Indian Asians went through the angst
of thinking about their futures, especially their very young children. This was
the time of emigrations where families and friends prepared and departed for
distant shores. Rui led his family’s exit by moving to Mossley, Lancashire, UK
in 1967. The Mascarenhas’s (Rui’s Dad and Mum) and D’Souza’s (Cosmas and Rose)
were long time family friends and then found themselves as street neighbours
where the bonds grew stronger. 1968 was the year that both families had planned
to emigrate to the UK. Tragedy struck in the guise of a road accident on the
final weekend of Rosalind and her boys’ departure from Mombasa.
Sadly, this cut short a full physical
ability for an active young Wife and Mother of four incredibly young boys.
Rosalind was bed bound and eventually evolved a life from the wheelchair
whenever this was possible. Even in those early traumatic days following the
calamity, Rosalind showed a strength of purpose, faith, hope, duty, and
commitment to her family. Conversations and letters of exchanges would show the
emotional roller coaster of unprecedented hope and despair and struggle that
Rosalind herself was managing. Plans were made and on 28th July the D’Souza’s
left Mombasa. They joined the Mascarenhas’s in Nairobi and together boarded the
plane headed for Gatwick Airport, London. Rosalind was medically cared for on
the plane whilst each of her four boys was looked after by the D’Souza
children.
The two families were met by Rui and
his sister at Gatwick Airport outside London. In multiple taxis, they headed
for London Euston Station for the train journey to Manchester Piccadilly. The
very emotional reunion then saw Rui and Rosalind head via ambulance to the then
Lodge Moor Sheffield hospital. The rest of the entourage proceeded to Mossley.
Rosalind’s initial years in the UK were inextricably linked to the spinal
specialist care at medical centres, and latterly the Sheffield Northern General
Hospital. Those early periods saw an unending array of hope, will and
disappointments in helping Rosalind adjust to such physical limitations and
consequences of paralysis. The will power, determination, courage, strength,
responsibility, and leadership Rosalind demonstrated left everyone who met her
in absolute awe. Anything that can be said of how Rosalind’s poise, presence
and inspiration affected others is truly an understating of the reality.
Rosalind was special because she was
truly herself. Her impact on others, from everything she loved, cared for,
shared, and helped with, elevated her in all who knew her and came to know her
as nothing short of a wonderful phenomenon. Some triggers for happy memories of
Rosalind the wife, mother, grandmother, mother-in-law, sister, aunt, friend
include: Her fruit cake and batika coconut cake, Christmas sweets, her fish
curry, her laugh, her nails, her love of Elvis Presley, how she was always
wanting you to eat more. The huge meals and then chocolate at the end! Her
Woodworking and Canework skills, her love of flowers and gardening, her
incredible agility with the wheelchair, her beloved Cockatiels and budgies –
two favourites being Joey and Jeanie.
Above all, when Rosalind was talking
to you, it was as if she was looking and communicating directly to your heart.
Her sense of humour, her laughter, her unreserved directions, and sheer energy
to perform and achieve is surely an inspirational story of iconic measure.
Rosalind resonated with dignity, grace and magnanimity that surely is a model
for us all. Rosalind is survived by her loving family: Husband Rui, her sons
and their partners and her grandchildren.
PS: We are in unprecedented global
pandemic times. This significantly impacts any intentions to formally farewell
a loved one both culturally and legally. A compliant private funeral will be
held at Mossley Cemetery. At some stage after that, the family will make
available a tribute in photographs via internet accessibility for those family
and friends who wish to pay their respects and reflect on Rosalind the person
they remember. Please register your interest to have this access to:
stanleymascarenhas@gmail.com
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