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MILLICENT BRAVO
1904—1995
The Universal House of Justice . . . was grieved to learn of the passing of Mrs. Millicent Bravo, steadfast early believer, whose devoted services to the Faith are warmly remembered. The House of Justice will offer prayers in the Holy Shrines for the progress of her soul and for the comfort of her family.
Department of the Secretariat September 24, 1995
illicent Bravo was born in London,
England, in 1904 ofjewish parents. She came to Chile while she was quite young. From her marriage to Mr. Schulder she had two sons, Paul and Emilio.
Her first contact with the Faith was early in 1941 during the beloved Guardian’s first Seven Year Plan launched shortly before the outbreak of the Second World
War—a time of high social and political
Millicent Bravo
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tension throughout the world. It was then that she met Mrs. Marcia Steward (Atwater) who, in December 1940, had recently arrived to pioneer in Chile. Marcia had taken up residence in Santiago in order to comply with Shoghi Effendi’s wish that a Local Spiritual Assembly be established at least in the capital City of each independent country of Latin America during the Plan. While other seekers came and went, Millicent was one of the few who missed none of the fireside meetings that Marcia held, first in her room at the Hotel Crillon and later at a home she rented in order to establish a more friendly atmosphere. One day Millicent came with her twelve—year—old son Paul who had been reading the books Marcia had lent her. This young boy asked many questions and became the first person to express a desire to become a Bahá’í. However, because those who later accepted the Faith were adults without small Children, and on account of his studies, Paul did not remain active. But Millicent continued to participate and became one of the first four to be formally accepted as believers and who, with Marcia, formed the first Bahá’í group in Chile on April 21, 1941. Millicent was elected secretary of the group. She was again elected as secretary in 1943, but now it was as a member of the first Local Spiritual Assembly, a post she continued to serve loyally for several years. In 1946 she was a member of the third Local Assembly elected in Chile—that of Valparaiso. Millicent was a slim woman of medium height with dark hair and hazel eyes. Marcia described her as “loyal, sincere, serene, and deep” and as one “who absorbed the hidden gift of the spirit like a thirsty and silent plant thankfully accepts the summer rain.” Although unable to continue participating actively on account of her health, which was always quite delicate, Millicent never
THE BAHA’I’ WORLD
failed to take a keen interest in the progress of the Faith, and whenever possible she attended Bahá’í meetings and special events.
As time went by she found it necessary to leave Santiago to live with her son Paul, now a grown man who had traveled abroad and had taken up residence in Canada. Several years later she returned to Santiago where she lived for a time with her second son Emilio.
In 1993 the Bahá’ís of Chile held a special memorial meeting in Santiago to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the first Local Spiritual Assembly in that country. Notwithstanding her frail condition Millicent was a special guest at the ceremonies, the only living believer from those early times.
Her last days were spent at the Jewish Home for the Aged where she passed away two years later on September 17, 1995. She was ninety—one years old. A wreath was sent by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Santiago to the Jewish home, and a very moving joint Jewish—Bahá’í burial ceremony was held at the Jewish Cemetery in Santiago. On the anniversary of her passing a year later, the family invited the Bahá’ís to a Jewish memorial service at the main synagogue in Santiago.
Alexander Reid
