By Nelson A. King
Ena Violet McKenzie-Roberts,
a former elementary
school teacher, who hailed from
the village of Rose Bank in the
North Leeward section of St.
Vincent and the Grenadines,
is the latest Vincentian in New
York to succumb to the coronavirus
(COVID-19), according to
her daughter, Sandra “Peggy”
Roberts-Bowman.
Roberts-Bowman, also an
erstwhile elementary school
teacher in St. Vincent and the
Grenadines, told Caribbean
Life on Monday that her mother
died on April 1. She was 89.
Brooklyn resident Roberts-
Bowman, who is the fifth of
McKenzie-Roberts’s 12 children,
said her mother, who
migrated to New York in 1981
and lived in Brooklyn and
Queens, became will with heart
failure in 2016.
She was “rehabilitated at
the Forest Hills Care Center
(in Queens),” said Roberts-
Bowman, who is married to
Lenford “Brother B” Bowman,
considered the pioneer of the
van industry in St. Vincent and
the Grenadines.
“While there, she contacted
the COVID-19 virus and died
peacefully within a few days,”
Roberts-Bowman said.
She said her mother, who
was the daughter of Conrad
and Linda McKenzie, formerly
of Rose Bank, was born on
Sept. 9, 1930.
Roberts-Bowman said Mc-
Kenzie-Roberts attended the
Troumaca Government School,
atop the hill adjoining Rose
Bank, and was married to Lee
Roberts, at an early age, who
predeceased her.
Roberts-Bowman said her
mother, who “had to leave her
(teaching) profession to become
a mother,” was the matriarch of
the Roberts family.
“She took care of her children
STAY HOME TO STOP THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS
New Yorkers working together and staying home can slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19)
in New York City. When you go out for essential needs, work or to get fresh air, keep distance
Caribbean L 8 ife, April 17-23, 2020
and grandchildren, and
took her responsibilities very
seriously,” Roberts-Bowman
said, adding that her mother
was “a strong disciplinarian,
advisor and educator, always
reminding us of her mathematical
and spelling skills.
“She was the only person I
knew at that time who requested
a parent/teacher conference
and always wanted the best
for her children,” Roberts-Bowman
continued. “Her grandchildren
adored her as being a
part of their lives. She spoiled
them and taught them to be
good citizens. Sometimes, they
preferred being in her company
instead of their parents’.
“She was loved and respected
by all with whom she came
into contact,” Roberts-Bowman
said. “She was a peacemaker;
everyone in the village looked
up to her as she was a perfect
role model.”
She said her mother always
helped the less unfortunate,
sharing food and clothing.
Roberts-Bowman recalled
her mother “selling goods” in
her shop in Rose Bank, and the
elderly saying ‘God bless you’”.
“It was afterward I realized
that she was feeding them,”
she said. “She was down-toearth.
Ena Violet McKenzie-Roberts with granddaughter Sitra
Bowman. Sandra “Peggy” Roberts-Bowman
She made (the) broken
look beautiful. She walked with
the universe on her shoulders
and made it look like a pair of
wings.”
Roberts-Bowman’s elder
daughter, Lesa Bowman-Ramnauth,
said her grandmother
“had no chance of survival”
after contracting COVID-19.
Another Vincentian in NY
succumbs to coronavirus
NEW YORKERS:
between yourself and others and take the following precautions.
Text COVID to 692-692 for real-time updates or visit nyc.gov/coronavirus.
Call 311 to report harassment or discrimination. Call 888-NYC-WELL, text "WELL" to 65173
or chat online at nyc.gov/nycwell to connect with a counselor.
*Messages and data rates may apply. Check your wireless provider plan for details.
Bill de Blasio
Mayor
Oxiris Barbot, MD
Commissioner
PROTECT YOURSELF
AND OTHERS
• Keep at least 6 feet between
yourself and others.
• Wash your hands with soap
and water often.
• Cover your nose and mouth
with a tissue or sleeve when
sneezing or coughing.
• Do not touch your face with
unwashed hands.
• Monitor your health more
closely than usual for cold or
flu symptoms.
IF YOU ARE SICK
• Stay home.
• If you have a cough,
shortness of breath, fever,
sore throat and do not feel
better after 3-4 days,
consult with your doctor.
• If you need help getting
medical care, call 311.
• NYC will provide care
regardless of immigration
status or ability to pay.
REDUCE
OVERCROWDING
• Stay home.
• Telecommute if possible.
If you do go out:
• Stagger work hours away
from peak travel times.
• Walk or bike.
• Do not gather in crowds.
PROTECT THE
MOST VULNERABLE
• Stay home if you have
lung disease, heart disease,
diabetes, cancer or a
weakened immune system.
• Stay home and call, video
chat or text with family or
friends who have one of
these conditions.
/coronavirus
/nycwell