She was Belize’s first female attorney and wife of national hero, Philip Goldson
by Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Mon. May 13, 2024
Hadie Goldson, the first female Belizean to be recognized as an attorney and the wife of the late national hero Philip Goldson, passed away last Wednesday at the Octavia Waight Center in San Ignacio Town, Cayo District.
The Goldsons wed on April 28, 1954, the same day Philip Goldson was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly for the Belize South constituency, while Belize was still a colony and formally named British Honduras. The couple later had five children – three boys and two girls.
In 1961, Hadie Goldson departed for London to pursue her studies in law, and upon her return, in 1965 she became the first Belizean female to become an attorney. She remained on the local scene for several years, until embarking for New York in early 1972 with her children.
“She was a focused attorney. She was very careful in helping her clients achieve their goals. She was a leader in showing women the path to careers in law, and is a trailblazer in the Belizean courts and in leading the rights for Belizean women,” said Philip Goldson, Jr., son of Hadie and Philip Goldson.
While speaking with Goldson, Jr., he told Amandala that he would describe his mother as focused, both in her professional life and as a mother.
“As an attorney, my mom was very focused on legal issues. She knew how to get directly to the point. As a mom, she was always there for her children, always looking out for us and [making] sure that each of us succeeded in life. That was her focus, she was very focused on that,” he said.
“… One of my favorite things about her is that she was one of those moms [who] would think about her children’s future years down the road. For example, all of her children were living in the United States, and she came back to Belize and made conditions for the children to move to Belize eventually and to succeed in Belize,” he added.
While Hadie was away, Philip enrolled in Lincoln’s Inn in London and began pursuing a law degree in 1974 at age 51, continuing his political career in Belize. When Philip retired from politics in the 1990s, the couple united once more and settled in Belmopan for a few years until he died in 2001.
Hadie Goldson returned to Belize as she battled with dementia during the final years of her life, and resided at the Octavia Waight Center until her passing.
“It influenced her by being able to live independently, which is something she cherished a lot. The family tried different alternatives to be in Belize, but none of them were able to help my mom the way it should be … The family helped her to stay at Octavia Waight, and although that was not her first choice, I think at the end of the day it was the best choice for her,” Goldson, Jr., noted.
The date of Goldson’s burial has yet to be set, as arrangements are still being made.
She was 90 years old.
(AMANDALA Ed. Note: Sincere condolences from Kremandala to the Goldson family on the passing of Mrs. Hadie Goldson, wife of national hero, Philip S.W. Goldson. R.I.P. Mrs. Hadie Goldson!)