rrolle@tribunemedia.net
YOUNG and veteran figures in The Bahamas’ psychiatric community gathered for a Zoom session last week to pay tribute to Dr Timothy McCartney – the “father of Bahamian psychology” – who died last month from COVID-19 at 87.
Dr McCartney was the first Bahamian to earn a PhD in psychology. He worked as a clinical psychologist at the Ministry of Health mostly at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre from 1967 to 1993 before relocating to the United States.
The Zoom tribute event featured a mixture of tributes, dramatisations and even a snippet of a recording from a Dr McCartney interview. Dr McCartney was widely remembered as a pioneer, for his eagerness to help the professional development of his peers, his infectious personality and for his gift as a communicator. He was described as a good cook and a capable musician who liked to tell stories. For some, he played a notable role determining the field of psychology in which they ultimately chose to make their mark.