SOUTH MIAMI – A South Florida female is reflecting on her time with Queen Elizabeth II all through the toughest time period of her everyday living.
Victoria Cummock was 35 several years outdated with a few youthful small children when she misplaced her husband, John Cummock.
John was on Pan Am Flight 103 flying from London to the U.S. in 1988 when a bomb detonated on board and the airplane exploded mid-air. Two-hundred fifty-nine people on the aircraft died, 11 were being killed on the ground. The wreckage was spread in excess of 845 miles.
“He was a kindhearted very bright, very committed man. He beloved his loved ones. He liked his little ones. He was also incredibly curious,” explained Victoria of her late spouse.
In 1988 there have been no protocols that necessary government officers to call victims’ family members. Victoria struggled to come across info about her husband’s demise all whilst striving to mourn the large reduction to her household.
Much less than four many years later on, the relatives was hit with a different devastating blow. Hurricane Andrew swept as a result of South Florida and flooded their Cocoplum community. Victoria and her a few tiny kinds moved into an RV in her front lawn.
“I stored hunting up at the sky up at the sky and indicating John I need to have you listed here,” stated Victoria.
The relatives had no phone and no mailbox but ended up operating to lastly set their dwelling and lives back with each other. When points ended up commencing to get in get, Victoria got an surprising get in touch with.
“They wanted to know if I would be attending the royal wreath-laying ceremony that I would been invited to by the queen,” said Victoria.
Victoria was fatigued but took her household and flew to Lockerbie, Scotland, wherever the airplane went down. There, the family satisfied Queen Elizabeth.
“She arrived to me and explained you know I realize that you might be from Miami and I said certainly,” explained Victoria.
Victoria suggests she requested her about the hurricane and about two of her favourite regional South Florida spots Fairchild Tropical Botanic Yard and Vizcaya.
“She listened so intently and then she questioned my small children questions and then she came back to me,” said Victoria.
Victoria says it was a touching second soon after so much reduction. A moment she suggests sticks with her all these a long time later on.
“She did not essentially respond as her obligation and as her role. She responded as a human staying. She responded as a mother, as a grandmother, and a spouse,” stated Victoria.
The human exchange in between a queen and a mourning widow is a lifelong reminder for Victoria of her mother’s kindness.
“He was just pretty committed to everyday living, to his relatives and to his neighborhood,” claimed Victoria.
