WORDS Bob Pirie
The western Algarve lost one of its most senior expat residents on Saturday, 4 March when Berthe Buckland died peacefully at her home in Praia da Luz, where she had lived for more than half a century. She was 96 years of age.
Berthe was born in the Canadian Province of Quebec into a large family known for their longevity. Her career led her into the world of advertising, where she met an Englishman called Peter Buckland, who was later to become her husband. Having undergone aircrew training in Canada during WW2, he emigrated to Canada and met Berthe while they worked for rival agencies in Toronto, Ontario.
In the late 1960s, they relocated to Europe, first to the UK and then to Portugal, which was to become ‘home’ for the rest of their lives. Their first business venture was a restaurant behind what is now the Tivoli Hotel in Lagos, which traded successfully for several years as O Trovador. Peter, a talented writer and artist, also founded an early local English-language newspaper, the Algarve News. Meanwhile, Berthe set up a villa management business, which she continued to run until she was in her late eighties. Peter died in 2011.
Berthe Buckland was a strong-willed and cultured lady who was fluent in English, French and Portuguese. She was a keen reader and follower of the arts and loved music – especially Fado. One of her great regrets was when poor mobility prevented her from attending Fado evenings at local restaurants such as O Cangalho (at Lagos Zoo) and A Barrigada (on Lagos harbourside).
Berthe is survived by several younger family members as well as her ‘big sister’ Trudie, who lives in Quebec and is still going strong at 99 years of age.
