Growing up in Savannah in the 1940s and 50s, no-one – least of all Mrs. Marjorie Jane Bodden herself – envisaged that one day she would touch hundreds of lives across the globe, earning her the respect and gratitude of acquaintances and strangers alike.
Awarded the Certificate and Badge of Honour for service to the community through her air ambulance service, Mrs. Bodden acknowledges that she never wanted to go into the ‘air business.’
However, looking back after nearly four decades, she willingly gives the nod to an insistent neighbour for convincing her and husband Edward to take the leap in 1978, becoming founding partners of Executive Air Services.
One of the first of its kind, business was good and the company expanded its services to include search and rescue, photography and international charters.
But even as the Boddens experienced phenomenal professional success, life was seldom easy. Ironically, the woman who is lauded for transporting so many people to safety had herself endured immense personal tragedy, losing three of her four children.
Predating the business venture, she lost the first in 1960 when son Edward was diagnosed with spina bifida, living only a few days. A few years later, tragedy struck again; Deri, her younger four-year-old daughter, was fatally injured when run over by a car. Sadly, in 1985 Mrs. Bodden was forced to re-live the heartbreak when 23-year-old son Dwyane died in a plane crash shortly after taking off from Cayman Brac.
Asked how she managed to overcome such immense personal tragedy, her response is deeply philosophical and remarkably selfless: “I simply had to live up to the expectations of my children. They always looked to me as being strong – and because of that, I found the strength to survive.”
But her work also brings her inspiration and strength: “No matter how down I am, the moment a call comes in, and I start working, I am driven to continue, through the night if necessary. I am blessed in what I do; it reminds me daily that others endure hardship as well.”
A woman of enduring faith, Mrs. Bodden exhibits a deep love for her fellow man, reflected every time she puts a patient on a flight. “I pray for each one, my job is indeed a blessing.”
Now in their seventies, the Boddens show no sign of slowing down, exuding an energy that is as contagious as it is almost tangible. Both remain close to their only surviving child, older daughter, Dale, and Mrs. Bodden still finds time to be the ultimate grandmother, making surprise visits to Miami to celebrate her granddaughter’s birthday.
