"Make a scholarship" said her father. And so it happened.

Really, how could they not? With top marks in all classes and leadership in every movement, Sidney Olive Veitch would surpass her teachers' expectations and go to medical school despite their recommendations to take another path. Dr. Veitch was born in Jamaica on June 3, 1942 to Sidney Octavius Veitch and Bernice Kent-Daisy Thame. Thus began a lifetime of amazing everyone with her creativity, intelligence, warm spirit, and passionate devotion to making the world around her beautiful. As a "junior", Dr. Veitch possessed her father's wit, penchant for telling edgy jokes, and strongarm tactics to get whatever job that needed doing done. She had her mother's ability to care for the sick with tender excellence, the ability to turn nothing into something be it pillow or meal, and her love of collecting. With such a skill set, it is no wonder that she became an outstanding student at Westwood High School and St. Andrews High School prior to her tenure at the University of West Indies Medical School.

Sidney Veitch graduated from medical school in 1968 before marrying Earl Wright and moving across the sea to train in anesthesiology at Columbia University in New York. She achieved honors during her residency at a time when black doctors were rare, and black female doctors so much more so. Who was this woman who commanded authority and spoke volumes with few words? Who was this woman who encouraged surgeons to do right by every patient and never cowered in the face of the toughest? She rose through the ranks despite the conundrum of knowing which of the two locker rooms at Butterfield Hospital she should use– doctors (for men) or nurses (for women). However, her greatest accomplishments were the birth of Kevin in 1970 and Sean in 1974. They settled on a quiet street in New City, New York and Sean and Kevin enjoyed a typical suburban childhood with a host of family and friends. She modeled career success as she became Director of Anesthesia at her beloved Cabrini Hospital, but she also shared the importance of good company and even better food. Dr. Veitch knew how to work wonders in the kitchen and cooked feasts of the best Jamaican food there ever was. She shared her culinary might with her sons (both surgeons and excellent cooks), their wives Maureen and Charmaine and grandchildren Lydia, Luke, Liam, Logan, and Oliva. She will never be far from mind whenever a new Wright recipe is conceived. We will always remember her lessons to marinate and to love fully.

She will come to mind whenever we pass a Joanne's, Michael's, or red convertible. There will never be another with such panache that she was often stopped and asked where she bought her necklace or dress. The answer was most often, "They are my own." She was a creator and force for good always. As she fought pancreatic cancer, she returned to painting and produced masterpiece after masterpiece. They are all signed in the lower right corner with "Sidney". She was unapologetically herself and wanted us all to be certain of our place and worth. Her confidence and can-do spirit are woven into our genes. She filled everyone she knew with the tremendous power of belief.

And as we say goodbye in our own unique ways, know she will remain ever present in the soft scent of nutmeg, in the energy of Jamaican ska, in the salty tang of sea water or the bustling atmosphere of the city, in the "measuring cups are for the weak" mindset, in the clink of bangles, in a fountain at night, in the incandescence of sequins or sunlight on the water at her cherished Palm Beach Gardens home. Here she will be, filling those who love her with the incredible power of her spirit. We will hear her laughter and feel her love. Her family and friends will miss her dearly.

In lieu of sending flowers, please consider donations in Sidney's memory to Dance Theater of Harlem ( www.dancetheatreofharlem.org ) or the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network ( www.pancan.org ).