Remembering Big Mike: A Pillar of Green Turtle Cay

Molly McIntosh

"When I first came to GTC in 1986, the ferry was not running back then. I moved here in 1990 to work at Bluff House, and Big Mike was an imposing figure. However, I could immediately tell he was an honest, honorable, and very intelligent man who had Green Turtle Cay's best interests in mind in everything he did. When I married his first cousin, Chris McIntosh, he was incredibly welcoming. He accepted me not only into his family but also into the Green Turtle Cay community."

"Big Mike was always trying to encourage youth, especially young men, to step up and do good things. I remember that he arranged for a boxing match and they built a boxing ring on the basketball court. It was a major event, with lots of people coming to watch and entertainment from Nassau. It was great for the community and was initiated by Big Mike to encourage youth and help tourism on the Cay."

"Even before I moved here, I attended a couple of Junkanoo parades, and Big Mike stood out immediately—not only because of his stature but also because of his enthusiasm and joy for the event. He would push the wheelbarrow with Bunce, and it was like nothing I had ever seen; it was all so much fun and probably part of the reason I ended up on Green Turtle Cay and raised my family here."

"I will never forget that huge hand on my shoulder, the grip when shaking his hand, and the hugs from Big Mike. He has influenced so many people on Green Turtle Cay, and having the community center named after him is incredibly fitting, considering the giant of a man he was and the legacy he has left."

The Wild Man of Green Turtle Cay - story of the Bunce man.

Big Mike often was the driver of the  "Bunce" wheelbarrow during Junkanoo.  This was a unique custom to GTC during the parade.  "Hidden beneath the tarp was "Bunce", ostensibly a wild man caught in the pine forest of the Abaco mainland."  

"Those pushing the wheelbarrow would stop in front of a house and pass around a hat, taking up a collection  for Bunce to get out and dance.  They told tall tales about the capture of the violent beast and threatened that, should enough money not be contributed, they would set him loose within the settlement."

"When enough money had been collected, the wildly costumed Bunce would jump from the wheelbarrow, lunging fiercely toward local children and amusing the crowd with his antics.  Eventually, he was loaded back into the wheelbarrow, covered up and carted to another house, where the performance would be repeated."

This article is being reproduced with permission from abacosun.com.

January 21, 2015. 

Author Amanda Diedrick

In memory of Big Mike and his impact on Green Turtle Cay, we invite you to donate to support local initiatives. Your contributions will help continue his legacy of community and encouragement.

DONATE