GHS loses ‘Parsons’

ON WEDNESDAY, August 6, 2025,the community of the St Vincent Girls’ High School (GHS), at home and abroad, was deeply shaken by the news of the sudden passing of Joanne Parsons in NewYork City, USA.

‘Parsons’, as she is affectionately called by ‘the school’, was holidaying in NYC with her daughter, as she often does, where she celebrated her 61st birthday on July, 26, 2025.

Joanne Advira Parsons joined the staff at the GHS during the first quarter of 2006.The Headmistress at that time, Andrea Bowman, recalls the immediate energy and efficiency with which ‘Parsons’ undertook her duties as the school’s office attendant.

“Her loyalty and attention to detail were remarkable”, says Bowman. “Within a short time, she easily became our woman of business. There is no way in which we could have prepared for registration and orientation without her logistical support.”

The school’s present Headmistress, La Toya De Roche-John is bereft by “Parsons” terribly sad passing. For De Roche-John, ‘Parsons’ functions in a role akin to the school’s financial officer. Indeed, ‘Parsons’ was in the process of attending to aspects of the school’s recently established ‘Breakfast Programme’ during her NYC vacation.

During her 19 years of service, students, teachers, parents and guardians came to depend on her loyalty and honesty. She engaged directly, confidently and caringly. She attended to the institution’s needs with love and dedication. Staff House has lost a stalwart. GHS mourns the loss of this nurturing mother-figure.

Funeral Services for Joanne Parsons will be held in Brooklyn, NYC, on August 15, 2025 and in Mesopotamia, SVG, on August 23, 2025.