We are all in grief as we celebrate the life of our friend and colleague Christine Snisky-Nixon. I met her when I moved to Grand Bahama to become Chief Pharmacist of the island. I found her to be smart, honest, hard-working and most importantly, genuine. I meet a lot of fake people in my line of work, folk who just want to see what they can get from you. Christine was just the opposite…she couldn’t be fake even if she tried. And that’s why she and I became not only solid colleagues but grew to be great friends. She became “Chrissy” and I enjoyed when I heard that raspy voice say “Marvelous Marvin”.
When I left Freeport and moved to Nassau we stayed in touch. She was passionate about pharmacy practice and education, especially in the area of diabetes. We participated in several diabetes education sessions, and I was highly impressed by her passion and her acumen. When I was asked to become President of the Bahamas Pharmaceutical Association, I wasn’t excited about the work, but I told my suitors that I’d only do it if I could pick my own team. And I chose Chrissy to be the Assistant Treasurer, and to handle the finances in the Northern Region. She did a great job because people trusted her, knowing the character and high ethics she always displayed. She continued to work with me when I became President of the Caribbean Association of Pharmacists, once again being focused in the area of training pharmacists to become more skilled in educating patients about their diabetes.
Chrissy was my friend, and a true friend she was indeed. She would give me fake anger if Justin and I hung out too late (which happened all the time), telling me I was “corrupting her little brother” to which I would reply “Who Justin? Who’s corrupting who?” We talked about so much, and she comforted me as I buried my two kids. When my best friend Reggie Sheppard died, she hugged me and let me cry like a baby in private, knowing that I felt safe to be vulnerable and hurt in her presence. And when unscrupulous forces worked to rob her of the license she worked so hard for, I fought side-by-side with her, not just because it was the right thing to do, but also because these people had attacked “my Chrissy” and I wasn’t going to let that just pass…and I still won’t just let it pass.
Chrissy was the best of us. She was the standard of what kindness, humility and great service looked like wrapped in a pharmacist. She was a walking, breathing example of courage, even under the toughest of times. She fought so many battles, but never let the fight win by taking her smile. That’s what I will remember most about my Chrissy. One behalf of the President and members of the Bahamas Pharmaceutical Association, and her fellow members of the Caribbean Association of Pharmacists, I extend our deepest condolences to her family, her loved ones and friends. And I count myself as blessed to be considered in that group. May her soul rest I peace and rise in eternal bliss, reunited with the Creator at last.
Dr. Marvin R. Smith
President – Caribbean Association of Pharmacists
Chief Pharmacist – Public Hospitals Authority
