"Wha you worrying for? I am saved!...’
By Claudia Liburd
Nevis Reporter
(Charlestown, Nevis) --- An entire nation was left to mourn after the death of the late Hon. Malcolm Guishard and the nation of St. Kitts and Nevis observed a two day mourning period which started on Tuesday with the viewing of the remains and culminated on Wednesday with a State Service at Grove Park.
‘If we were able to know what was on Malcolm’s mind this afternoon we would visualize him with a smile on his face, an almost nonchalant expression saying to us, ‘Wha you worrying for? I am saved!’”
These were the words of former member of the Concerned Citizens Movement Party (CCM) Collin Tyrell while paying tribute to the late Hon. Malcolm Guishard. The tribute came during the State Service held at Grove Park in Charlestown on Wednesday to honor the Hon. Malcolm Guishard who lived from January, 13, 1952 up until June, 11, 2007.
During a heartfelt eulogy Tyrell described the late Guishard as ‘one whose featured ambitions was to see the independence of Nevis’.
“I believe today however that the spirit of Malcolm is satisfied even though he did not experience an independent Nevis that he had succeeded in bringing the people and especially the politicians of St. Kitts, Nevis together as they celebrate his life today.
.jpg) |
|
Viewing of the remains of the late Hon. Malcolm Guishard.
|
Yet even as we celebrate his life we know that we have lost a man whose life and work was the quintessential example of service to humanity.
“History is replete with personalities who have created defining moments and who have impacted the landscape of life. We would have read of individuals of different civilizations, different continents, different countries and different island states.
But rarely have so many been afforded the opportunity to be so close to someone who has so positively impacted our lives individually and collectively as a country,” said Tyrell.
He continued, “We celebrate today the life of a man, a son, a husband, a father, a brother, an uncle, a godfather, a godson, a relative, a teacher, an entrepreneur, a politician, a colleague and a friend. Whatever our perspective the Hon. Malcolm Guishard in his own humble and unique way has left his footprints in the socio-economic and political landscape of the Federation of St. Kitts, Nevis and more especially the island of Nevis.”
|
|
| Body of the late, Hon. Malcom Guishard |
Tyrell described the late Guishard as a man of many endearing and enduring qualities such as his mental dexterity. In response to a comment about his multidimensional life Hon. Guishard was quoted as simply saying, ‘I am a jack of all trades and a master of none’.
Tyrell continued, “We have heard the story of his cricketing life where he was a left hand fast bowler. I am told he has the dubious distinction of being the only cricketer in Nevis history right here in Grove Park to bowl a ball that went for six byes. Malcolm was also a lover of music.
He enjoyed listening to country and western songs. He also enjoyed Gospel music and also modern gospel music styles.
He was a fan of Kirk Franklin with his favorite tune being Kirk Franklin’s version of ‘I Sing Because I am Happy’, and he
took those words literally because he loved to sing and he was often harshly criticized because of his singing. He was told that he could not sing but he simply responded ‘You guys do not appreciate good singing. My singing is for the 25th century.”
A number of persons paid tribute to the late Hon. Malcolm Guishard including father, Mr. Claude Guishard who described his late son as ‘a man of greatness’.
“The young one is gone and the parents remain. All that the parents can do now is to look back on the life the prodigy lived in the relatively short time that he was here. In my case I have to confer that I had very little part in the development of Malcolm.
I left him at home when he was 3 years old and did not see him again until he was nearly 11 and that only for a few days and not very happy ones at that. During that time we went together to a function very similar to this as we went to bury his maternal grandmother,” he said.
He continued, “After he was three Malcolm and I never spent any time together under the same roof until he was 22 years old when he and his soon to be wife Yvonne came and visited me in Guyana. In short I was not a part of his early life in any meaningful way.
However, in 1984 after I came back from Guyana, out of the generosity of their hearts, Malcolm and his soon to be wife allowed me to stay with them. It was only then that I got to know what the man who had been the babe had become.
As time passed I realized that he was intelligent, intellectually sharp, and capable of developing a plan but needing supervision to bring it to fruition. He had an equable temperament and was not capable of being spiteful.”
The State Service for the late Hon. Malcolm Guishard was hosted at Grove Park on Wednesday morning. Persons were allowed to view the body of the deceased from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and the official State Service Ceremony began at 10:30 a.m. ~~Adz:Right~~
The body of the deceased was interred at the Charlestown Cemetery and was escorted via parade by a compliment of military personnel, close family and government officials.
The late Hon. Malcolm Guishard died on Monday June 11th after a routine trip to Gallows Bay. Police reports indicate that Guishard started to complain about chest pains and he was promptly rushed to the Alexandra Hospital. Guishard was announced dead shortly after arrival. Guishard died at the age of 55 and leaves to mourn his wife Mrs. Yvonne Guishard as well as his children, grandchildren and other close members of his family as well as the entire Nevisian general public.
.jpg)