There was a sound of laughter; in a moment, it was no more.
On the afternoon of 24th May 2021- the feast of Our Lady Mary Help of Christians, Bandra lost ‘a woman of substance’ – the petite, unassuming, straightforward, uncomplicated, brilliant and talented Dr Nymphia Correa nee d’Almeida, who was born and brought up in Bandra and dedicated her life and services unassumingly towards the welfare of the people of Bandra and its outskirts.
The eldest daughter of the late Elfreda and Prof. Raphael d’Almeida who worked for the betterment of Bandra, and after whom the Almeida park and road are named in Bandra, Nymphia lost her father at the age of 18 years while in college and so to help support her family she started lecturing and by the age of 22, she was head of the departments of Botany and Zoology. Despite her struggles, she stood 1st in the Bombay University and received the renowned Narayan Wassoodew Scholarship.
Later she married the debonair Adv. Hyginus Correa and very soon they were blessed with 3 children – Lyncia, Renuka and Ashwin.
Yet, household chores and motherly duties did not deter her from attaining a PhD in Microbiology and later a PhD in Botany on cancers and tumours in plants, writing books in Botany and being part of the team for formulating the Botany and Zoology syllabus of the Bombay University. Nymphia achieved the post of the First Lady Vice Principal of the Deccan Education Society and taught at Kirti College, a branch of the Fergusson College, Pune where she was loved and respected by all.
A woman of strength & conviction, she spoke up, spoke out, & put her neck on the line if anybody was treated unfairly irrespective of class, caste or creed. With her children, she was patient and tolerant but never believed in sparing the rod to spoil them.
When her husband fell ill, she stood strong by his side patient, composed and understanding with a never give up attitude.
Her dress sense till the very end was impeccable. In her younger days while she taught in college she’d wear a beautifully draped sari. She moved with the times and occasions. Be it western or ethnic wear, every outfit was carefully selected and designed by her.
Being a woman of many talents she could put her hand to anything – be it cooking, sweet making, beautiful icing decorations, flower arrangements, painting, handicrafts, playing the piano, gardening, costume and prop design for theatre plays and more. She crafted fancy handmade cards painstakingly and with great delight for her 8 grandchildren right until a month before her passing away. During the pandemic lockdown, she spent most of her time writing stories on interesting incidents of her lifetime and titled the books ‘Down Memory Lane’ 1, 2 & 3.
Nymphia was a woman filled with the joy of living. Her passion was never spent in public display. She offered her energies to action and helping the less fortunate. She was an ardent social worker and made people feel heard, worthy and important, treating them with equality regardless of social stature or title. She was kind, humble and generous to a fault. She smiled and talked to everyone.
Despite her busy schedule, she accompanied her husband a Municipal Corporator, to every political, social or community get together. She connected wonderfully with the young and old. The lengthy conversations she had with her grandchildren and the jokes and laughter they shared was unbelievably heart-warming.
Dr Nymphia was an avid shopper and could get the best buys from places only she was familiar with. The shopkeepers held her in high esteem and called her ‘Maaji’. Even until Easter 2021, at the age of 92 years, she was seen shopping from her little red car on Hill Road and Santa Cruz. Yet, her shopping expeditions were never for herself but always for others, be it family, friends or acquaintances.
A believer in the dignity and equality of all human beings, an apostle of peace, Nymphia was an extraordinary soul ever ready to learn something new, always open to differing opinions, compassionate and found something to love in everyone. Age did not define the strength that lied within her nor could it compare to all the love and kindness she showed to all who knew her. Her personality was too big for this world to contain. Her faith in the Almighty was overwhelming. May she rest in peace.
