Yesterday, I was reflecting on a letter from His Majesty King Charles III.
It was a letter of condolence written after learning of the passing of our brother, the Honourable Vaughn Peterson Miller.
What stayed with me most was not only His Majesty’s sympathy, but the way he remembered him. The King wrote:
“I just wanted to write to say how very sorry I was to learn of the death of your esteemed colleague, the Honourable Vaughn Peterson Miller, and to send my most sincere condolences to his family at this difficult time.
I understand that Minister Miller was a man of great integrity whose strong faith and values guided his leadership. His lifelong dedication to bettering the lives of the people of The Bahamas shone a bright light on your wonderful nation and will no doubt leave a legacy that will inspire others for generations to come.
I hope it may be of some comfort to his family and friends to know that Minister Miller’s passion for the protection of the environment and stewardship of natural resources will very likely help to shape and guide the future of The Bahamas.
At such a sad time, my wife and I can only offer our heartfelt sympathy to you, your colleagues, and all who mourn his passing.”
Those words from His Majesty captured what so many Bahamians felt about Vaughn. He was a man whose faith anchored him, whose integrity defined him, and whose respect for the natural beauty of our islands became part of his public ministry.
When a monarch thousands of miles away can speak so personally about a Bahamian public servant, it reminds us of the reach of moral character. The light of one honest life can shine far beyond the place where it began.
Vaughn was a man of calm conviction. When you spoke with him, you sensed someone grounded in principle. He carried within him a deep stillness that came from knowing what he believed and living by it.
He did not equate power with noise. He believed strength could be quiet, and that truth, when spoken softly, could still move mountains. That quiet strength defined his life and his leadership.
There was a moment in Vaughn’s public life that revealed the depth of his convictions. In 2018, when Parliament debated the increase in Value Added Tax, Vaughn stood and said, “I cannot in good conscience support this increase. I was not elected to make life harder for the people who sent me here. Many of them are already struggling to make ends meet, and I cannot be a part of something that adds to their burden.”
He knew what that vote would cost him, but he also knew what silence would cost his conscience.
That day, he reminded the nation that there is still room in public life for moral courage.
When King Charles spoke of his “strong faith and values,” he was speaking of this very courage, the kind that places conviction before convenience and duty before comfort.
Vaughn believed that public service was sacred work. He saw it as an opportunity to practice compassion through governance and to make the work of the state an act of care.
He once said that leadership is about lifting the weight off the shoulders of others, not adding to it.
That statement is the foundation of a moral vision for leadership.
It calls us to remember that policies are not abstract ideas; they are promises made to real people.
As Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Vaughn carried the voice of our islands with dignity. He spoke not only for our generation but for the generations yet to come. He believed that protecting the land, sea, and air of The Bahamas was a moral duty. He saw in the ocean the reflection of God’s abundance and in the land the inheritance of our children.
He believed that faith without integrity is empty and leadership without faith is dangerous. His faith gave him the courage to lead when others waited to see which way the wind would blow.
That is why it is so fitting that we gather here, at Bahamas Faith Ministries International, to say farewell.
Even in high office, Vaughn remained humble. He never lost the manners of Eleuthera: kindness, discipline, and respect.
Death strips away the illusions of life and leaves behind only truth. Vaughn’s passing calls us all to look inward. He lived as if his days were borrowed from God and meant to be used for good.
He used to say that our purpose must be to make the wealth more common in the Commonwealth.
He believed that prosperity loses its meaning if it is not shared.
He saw the gifts of our islands – the beauty of the land, the strength of the people, and the richness of the sea – as blessings meant for everyone, not privileges reserved for a few.
For him, stewardship of our natural resources was part of that mission. He understood that when we care for what God has given us, we create opportunity for every Bahamian child to dream, to work, and to rise.
That was Vaughn’s vision: a Commonwealth that lived up to its name, where wealth was not hoarded but held in trust for the common good.
Let us honour him by finishing that work.
Today we give thanks for his life, for his example, and for his unwavering faith.
We give thanks to his wife Cassandra, their child, and the entire Miller family for sharing him with this country.
We thank God for a life that proved decency and leadership can still walk together.
He has finished his race, but his example continues to guide us. His work on behalf of our people and our environment will help shape the future King Charles spoke of – a future built on stewardship, compassion, and faith.
On behalf of my wife Ann, my family, the Government, and the people of The Bahamas, I extend our deepest condolences to Cassandra, their child, and the Miller family.
May they find peace in knowing that Vaughn lived well, served faithfully, and leaves behind a legacy anchored in faith and love for his country.
May we who remain honour him by living with conscience, leading with humility, and carrying forward his work for a better, fairer, and more sustainable Bahamas.
“May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs receive you at your arrival and lead you to the Holy City Jerusalem. May Choirs of angels receive you and with Lazarus, once a poor man, may you, Vaughn Peterson Miller, have eternal rest.”