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S. MOOTEN
F RANCES BEARD 1921—1981 DEEPLY GRIEVED PASSING DISTINGUISHED
SERVANT BAHAULLAH FRANCES BEARD. HER OUTSTANDING SERVICES UGANDA MALAW’I ENRICH ANNALS IRISH BAHAI HISTORY. ADVISE HOLD MEMORIAL MEETING HAZIRATULQUDS. ASSURE ARDENT PRAYERS PROGRESS HER SOUL ABHA KINGDOM. CONVEY LOVING SYMPATHY RELATIVES FRIENDS.
Universal House of Justice
Many members of the Irish Bahá’í community knew Frances as that ‘phenomenal worker” who used to burn the midnight oil for the Faith in the struggling community of Dublin. She became a Bahá’í in 1960, entering a diminutive community in Dublin; there were only one or two believers in the whole of the rest of the Republic in those days. The obstacles to Frances’s entry into the Faith were tremendous. She was at that time separated from her husband, from whom she was later divorced, and was endeavouring to raise two young daughters alone; and her family background, like that of the Hand of the Cause George Townshend. was deeply rooted in the Church of Ireland. Any departure from her traditional religious and social background was bound to weaken support for her from these established, valuable sources during a most difficult period. Yet she braved this, and more, for when the call was raised for overseas pioneers in 1964 she responded and set off with her young family to assist with the teaching work in Africa.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Uganda
THE Bahá’í’ WORLD
Frances Beard
was formed in the very year she arrived in the country. The importance of her contribution to the teaching and administrative work there can never be overestimated and the radiant cheerfulness with which she performed her service will stand as an inspiration to all aspiring overseas pioneers. The time Frances spent in Uganda made a deep impression upon her as became obvious when she returned to Ireland in 1972. Clearly her experience with the African friends had deepened her own intrinsic qualities of patience, humility, love for every individual in the community and respect for the opinion of each member. She felt that we in Ireland had much to learn from the example of the young community of Uganda and never tired of presenting appropriate examples always,prefaced with the remark which we came to anticipate with delight, ‘Well, in Uganda we always used to . . .’
With the formation of the National Spiritual
Assembly of Ireland in 1972, once again
Frances‘s excellent secretarial and executive
skills were brought into play. She was a
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founding member of the National Book and
Sales Committee and was subsequently appointed to the National Teaching Committee.
She took her responsibilities most seriously
and rendered extremely valuable work to the
community, particularly through the latter
committee. She also played a major role in the
production of the news organ which came in
time to be named New Day. Such service,
however, lacked the challenge that Frances’s
spirit sought; increasingly she longed to return
to Africa2 the continent to which she had
developed a considerable attachment. In 1974
she settled in Malawi. Her friends in Ireland
looked forward to her cheerful, newsladen
letters describing the progress of the Cause
there. Invariably her letters contained anecdotes relating to her life in her new home, and
the lives of others of the pioneers. Her service
in Malawi was suddenly cut short. She was
overtaken by a serious illness which necessitated her return to London and eventually, in
1977, to her home in Ireland. The year after
her return she was elected to the National
Spiritual Assembly of the Republic of Ireland.
In addition to the normal work of the National
Assembly she provided invaluable assistance
in the secretariat and in relation to the
administration of property. T0 the local community of Dublin she was a valuable and
dedicated worker, serving during the last
years of her life as an eager and efficient Local
Spiritual Assembly secretary. Frances Beard
died ‘in harness’ as a member of the National
Assembly. One of my clearest memories of
her at this time is of her presence at a meeting
of the Assembly some months before her
death, smiling, sharing jokes, enquiring about
the teaching work and our own personal
circumstances—always positive, always keen,
mortally ill though she certainly was.
Frances was a warm and sympathetic friend
and we are the poorer for her passing. She
always asked with genuine interest after one’s
health, family, and activities, and was always
sincere. She was a true friend and true servant.
She came into the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh as a
mature adult and gave the remaining half of
her adult life to its service. Her unique life,
embracing as it does service in two African
countries and membership on the infant Irish
National Assembly, is an indelible example
for those who seek to‘play a part in the
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fulfilment of the high destiny won by our forebears in the Bahá’í community of the British Isles during the ministry of Shoghi Effendi
JOE WATSON
