Obituary of Mrs. LaVerne Charlton
LaVerne Lillian Charlton, 60 years old, of Scarborough Ontario, and formerly of Nassau, The Bahamas, passed away on Tuesday August 6th, 2024, from a brief illness. LaVerne was born on November 17th, 1963, to Francis Francetta Louise Darling and the Late Winston Vincent Cornelius Charlton in Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas. She was the first of five children born in that union. She started her primary education at Stephen Dillard Primary School, her junior education at C.H. Reeves Junior High School, and graduated her senior years from Government High School in 1981. She went on to study Nursing at The Sands Lane Nursing School, Nassau, The Bahamas between 1987 and 1988.
LaVerne grew up in a Christian home. She and her siblings assisted their now late father, Winston Vincent Cornelius Charlton, by preparing a classroom for Sunday Service at the Jordon Prince Williams Baptist School in Nassau, The Bahamas. This school was the original church site for Zion South Beach Baptist Church which is located on Zion Boulevard. LaVerne was an active church member and enjoyed singing in the church’s youth choir.
She had a wonderful relationship with her late father, Winston Vincent Cornelius Charlton. In 1978, her father married Ruth Menette Hepburn-Charlton. There were four children in that union. LaVerne was very loving, dependable, and an inspiration to all her siblings who turned to her for advice and support. Being the creative person that she was, LaVerne always had fun games (easter egg hunts, birthday events and Christmas events to name a few) planned for her family, friends, and colleagues. It was always a celebration of life with LaVerne.
She successfully graduated with a degree in Nursing and started her first job at The Ministry of Health. Her exemplary nursing career spanned over 40 years by becoming a Trained Clinical Nurse, a Registered Nurse, and achieving the top honor as a Nursing Sister. She provided bedside nursing at several wards at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau, The Bahamas before moving onto administrating care at several other community clinics such as the Baillou Hill Road Clinic, Ann’s Town Clinic, The Grove Clinic, and Flamingo Garden Clinic. She continued in her work at the Diah Ward at the Sandilands Rehabilitation Center in Nassau, The Bahamas. LaVerne was later transferred to Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, where she continued her excellent nursing abilities at the Hawksbill Clinic, Eight Mile Rock Clinic, and the Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport, Grand Bahama. LaVerne later completed courses from the Nursing Institute in London, England. LaVerne charged forward in her career, which awarded her a promotion as a Nursing Manager in the field of Risk Management in Freeport, Grand Bahama. LaVerne completed her years at the Public Hospitals Authority in Nassau, The Bahamas where she became the administrator for the Risk Management Health Office before leaving to embark in a new chapter of her life, in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. Her former colleagues described her as beautiful inside and out, kind, and having a remarkable work ethic. After moving to Canada, LaVerne was employed as a Senior Administrator at The Salvation Army, Meighen Retirement Home.
LaVerne is survived by two beautiful and spectacular daughters; Akiri Xeva Sawyer-Rolle age 28 and Ajai Chineyere Lilian Swann age 17. Both daughters received and now express the best parts of Laverne’s astounding personality. She was quiet but assertive, strong but humble, she embodied resilience and grace. These attributes made her most impactful to everyone who had the privilege to know her.
Our beloved LaVerne is survived by her Mother: Francis Darling; Stepmother: Ruth Charlton; Daughters: Akiri Xeva Sawyer-Rolle and Ajai Chineyere Lilian Swann; Son-in-law: Joshua Rolle; Grandchild: Amaire Rolle; Sisters: Siobhan Charlton-Johnson, Vynaska Corriere, Vynique Charlton, and Nieoka Deveaux; Brothers: Zalman, Vincent Jr. and Winston Charlton; Sister-in-law: Resa Charlton; Brother-in-law: Samuel Johnson; Aunts: Maude (Penny) Cuffee, Albertha Smith, Lottie Williamson, Berniese Munroe, Blanche Deveaux; Uncle: Frank Deveaux; Nieces: Anthonique, Samanna, Destiny, Bethany, Ema-Ai, Tahj, Breanna, Ivanna, and Iris; Niece-in-law: Sunsene Johnson; Nephews: Brenton Jr., Brandon, Shakur, Cody, Timothy, Malique, Zalman Jr., and Malachi; Nephews-in-law: Blaine Smith; Grandnephew/Nieces: Blair, Bailee, Bree, Journee, and Aizen; Cousins: Mario, Brian, and Britney Cuffee, Andrew Clarke Jr., Stuart Law, Tammy Law-Charlton, Cherry Charlton, Venus and Taffy Darling, Eulean Charlton, Catherine Charlton, Dorinda Humes, Ingrid Major, Barbara Peterson, Bernadette Pratt, Nursing Officer Prescola Rolle, Tomiko Thompson, Patricia Staten, Rachel Dean, Debra and Nurse Valderine, Pamela, Tara, Amnishka, Vernice, Lotoya and Cherry Charlton, Portia Gibson, Registered Nurse Melanie Dean, Kendra Deveaux, Kiesha Rolle, Samana Rolle, Sherice Munroe, Margo Munroe, Shekera Forbes, Cluston, Hilroy, Franklin, Perry, Dennis, Quinton, Naasson, Edvardo, Michael, Stanford, and Retired Sgt. Walter Charlton, Yule, Jacquan, Jefferson, and Jeff Jr. Javaughn Charlton, Winston, Anthony, Keith, Clinton Sean, and Kerrington Moss, Chief Petty Officer Perez Rolle, Force Chief Petty Officer Pedro Rolle, Sheldon Gibson, Gerard and Fred Ramsey, Stephan Deveaux, Troy and Lebraun Williamson, Nowel Williams, Richard, Leslie, Ralph, and Kermit Williams, Gladys Hall, Angela Colebrooke, Hilda Forbes, Charlotte Williams, Edith McKinney, Myrtle Johnson, Evelyn Pratt, Police Reservist Leslie Brown, Victor and Herbert Brown, Remilda Cartwright, Benji and Gartland Charlton, Rev. Irene Charlton, Flora Virgil, Gloria Charlton, Menerva Gray, ASP Prince and Rev Arthur Charlton Jr., and a host of other relatives and friends including: Jennifer Rolle, Karel Peterson, H. Rudy Sawyer and Family, Lovern Wildgoose and family, Kevin and Stacey James, Gail Bungay, Albert Miguel, Patricia Gordon, Monica, Major Faye and The Salvation Army family, The Staff and Faculty of Scarborough General Hospital & Centenary Hospital and Health Network.
LaVerne was pre-deceased by her loving father Winston Vincent Cornelius Charlton in July of 2020, and her beloved brother, Brenton Charlton in September of 2023.
LaVerne, you will be sorely missed. We will deeply miss your infectious smile, your distinctive beautiful eyes, your amazing sense of humor, and your gentle voice. You were a devoted, compassionate, supportive, and overall wonderful mother, daughter, sister, niece, cousin, and friend. It was no surprise that you chose nursing as your profession. You have always had a passion for caring for others. Your colleagues reflect on innovative changes you made to help individuals in the hospital feel safe. Not only were you an advocate for others, but you had the amazing ability to be humble while also showing considerable knowledge and strength. You will always be fondly remembered for the way you portrayed and celebrated yourself as a black beautiful woman. You showed so many of us how to be confident in who we are through the way you carried yourself. If you wanted a particular hairstyle, you would wear it, if you wanted a particular lip color (orange or red), you would wear it, if you wanted a particular style, it was done. Those are just a fraction of the ways we observed your admirable self-confidence. To our sweet and dear, mother, daughter, sister, niece, cousin, and friend, we love you so much and we will miss you and remember you forever.
Revelation 21:4 It is written,
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Family and friends are welcome to gather for a memorial visitation on Friday August 16th, 2024, at Ogden Funeral Home, 4164 Sheppard Avenue East Scarborough, Ontario from 2-3 p.m. followed by a memorial service at 3:00 p.m. to remember and celebrate the life of our dear LaVerne L. Charlton.
