The University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus is grieving the sudden death of Dr. Renee Smith, its Campus Counsellor and Musical Director of The UWI FIC Singers. According to Antigua.news, her passing has sent shockwaves through Antigua and Barbuda's educational and cultural communities.
Dr. Smith died suddenly in the early hours of Thursday morning at the age of 48.
Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal Professor C. Justin Robinson issued an emotional statement Thursday, describing Dr. Smith as "a builder of harmony, in voices and in lives," and paying tribute to her lifelong commitment to mentorship, music, and student development.
Dr. Smith served for many years as director of Antigua and Barbuda's National Youth Choir, shaping and inspiring generations of young singers. After joining the Five Islands Campus, she founded The UWI FIC Singers and guided students to performances on local, regional, and international stages.
A holder of a PhD from Walden University, Dr. Smith earned recognition not only for her academic and musical accomplishments, but also for her compassion and steadfast support of students in her care.
Robinson said her greatest legacy would live on in the countless lives she touched through counselling, mentorship, and encouragement.
"To the student sitting across from her on the hardest day of the year, Dr. Smith was a refuge," Robinson said. "To the nervous singer who did not yet know what they were capable of, she was the one who said, try again."
The university noted that students and colleagues frequently spoke of her rare ability to make people feel seen, valued, and capable of exceeding their own expectations.
Robinson's statement drew on scripture as the campus community struggled to process her sudden death. Quoting Psalm 30:5 — "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" — he described Dr. Smith as a "good and faithful servant" whose life was given in service to others.
Robinson extended the campus community's condolences to Dr. Smith's family, loved ones, former students, and all those in the cultural and educational sectors now mourning her loss.
"We will carry her memory in everything we teach, in every student we encourage, and in every song we sing," the statement concluded.
Dr. Smith's death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from former students, musicians, educators, and members of the public, who remember her as a gifted mentor, counsellor, and cultural leader whose influence reached far beyond the classroom and the choir stage.
