Friday, December 17, 2021
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We first met Corelean in 1977 when we answered an ad in Ottawa to rent a condo in Freeport Bahamas. Little did we know back then that our lives would change forever and we would purchase a condo there, and a friendship with both Corelean and Ron would grow and deepen throughout the next 44 years.
Corelean was a force to be reckoned with. And the stories…! When SHE told them, they’d go round and round in circles and cover umpteen other topics before finally coming full circle and occasionally getting to the original point. I’ll try and be more concise if I can :)
Our favourite memory of course is the one where “back in the day” we were just leaving the Freeport airport after having dropped off a friend and it was after the gates were closed and no one else in site, when our dear Corelean zoomed in, late as usual for her flight. Somehow this did not deter her in the least. From our vantage point we could see the plane had started its taxi away from the gate. Our undaunted friend, without a second thought, decided to jump through the baggage carousel hole suitcase in hand and onto the middle of the runway and (no exaggeration) arms waving, literally flag down the plane. The pilot actually stopped, they drove out the staircase to the plane, opened the door, and up went Corelean inside, beaming to a rousing applause from all passengers on the flight! (As I mentioned, it was back in the day..!)
Corelean championed the stray animals on the island and worked with the Humane Society being a great exponent of their efforts as well as being unable to resist adopting a few loving potcakes of her own. She also was a patron of the arts and always went above and beyond in her support of her beloved Bahamians in any endeavour she could. And she could certainly pour a mean Gin & Tonic before sending you out snorkelling with stingrays!
Our island will never be quite the same again without our Corelean. She will be sorely missed and a legend in countless stories retold through the ages. Thank you dear friend for the fun times & the memories!
Patricia & Michael Miragliotta
