Today, our Nation mourns again the loss of one of its great sons of the soil. A man who served this Federation and its people with distinction in many areas of life. When his story is written, it will be said among other things that Sir Cuthbert Montraville Sebastian GCMG, OBE, MD, CM was a man of many facets. In every arena he played well, correction, he played exceptionally well.
Sir Cuthbert lived a full life. He had a long time in the land of the living – 95 years. This, in itself, is a blessing, and he used much of his time to bless others. Yesterday, at a private memorial at Liamuiga Funeral Home many recounted anecdotes of his life: his upbringing; his generosity; his fondness for a good time; his passion for service; and his parenting skills. From those remembrances, we are assured that he lived life to the fullest.
This large towering gentleman has left indelible footprints on the sands of time.
My earliest recollection of Sir Cuthbert was occasioned by a visit with my mother to his office for prenatal care. He was her gynaecologist. My mother made regular visits to his office and she made me tag along most of the time. I found his presence to be commanding yet charismatic. This no doubt helped to catapult him to the status of the most popular OB/GYN in St. Kitts and Nevis in his day. He is also widely credited for holding the OB/GYN record for delivering the most babies in our Federation.
I renewed my acquaintance with Sir Cuthbert during the latter part of the 1980s when I served as the General Manager of Eskimo Foods, then a retail outlet of the S L Horsford Group, and that outlet would later be upgraded and rebranded as Valu Mart IGA. On these occasions, it was Sir Cuthbert the businessman with whom I interacted, given that he had turned some of Franklands Estate into a meat production and processing facility to manufacture hamburger patties for which the customers of Eskimo Foods had a craving.
I saw the resilience of the man after his unsuccessful yet valiant bid to serve as an elected representative for the people of St Christopher 1. The people chose the ever astute Michael Powell to represent them. In the wake of that electoral loss Sir Cuthbert told me that he would continue to do what he had always done - live life and serve his people. He harboured neither bitterness nor self-pity, and he blamed no one. For him, the loss was a given and he moved on graciously. His mindset was that his life was too full and meaningful for him to be upset over a missed opportunity. Such a positive philosophy brings to mind Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 19th century poem, “A Psalm of Life”, in which he acknowledged that life is a game of shifting fortunes and our mastery of the game is dependent on how we ride the waves of uncertainty; how well we make room for disappointment and keep moving forward; and how wisely we play the cards that we have been dealt, in order to live a life of meaning.
In the final verse Longfellow declares:
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing
Learn to labor and to wait.
I was heartened to have observed His Excellency Michael Powell visiting the family on the Sunday after Sir Cuthbert’s death to extend his condolences. This was a demonstration of the fact that the high regard in which Sir Cuthbert was held had transcended the political divide, and we see it reflected in the booklet with a eulogy tribute by our National Hero, Sir Kennedy.
On January 1st, 1996, Sir Cuthbert Sebastian GCMG, OBE, MD, CM was sworn in as Governor-General of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. His 17-year tenure as our 2nd Governor General since our Nation’s attainment of Independence in 1983 can safely be characterized as colourful and innovative. Up until his retirement on January 1st, 2013 Sir Cuthbert’s style of leadership remained consistently one in which he took an active part in civic and community life - and in a manner that brought Government House within the reach of the ordinary man, given the expansive list of invitees that could be seen at the official State compound on many a celebratory occasion. As I reflect on his legacy, an inspirational quote by the 20th century American poet and writer, Muriel Lieberman Strode comes to mind:
In 1903, Strode penned the following in her poem, “Wind-Wafted Wild Flowers”:
I will not follow where the path may lead,
But I will go where there is no path,
And I will leave a trail.
Simply put, Sir Cuthbert Sebastian was a lot like the early leaders in this Country who came to the fore as champions for the poor and disenfranchised whose rights were being denied. These trailblazing leaders – such as Thomas Manchester and Edgar Challenger, cousins who came from the planter class, but who nevertheless advocated on behalf of the working class – created a new path. In the midst of uncharted territory, they went forth with courage and determination and I there say a high sense of social justice on a journey that would result in paving the way for Statehood, then on towards to Independence.
In several respects Sir Cuthbert can be dubbed a maverick, given his boldness and novel mindset that served to challenge the status quo of our Nation’s highest office: he is widely credited with revolutionizing the role of the Governor-General and changing the way our people see it. Sir Cuthbert broadened the scope of the office, making it more accessible and welcoming to everyone. His was a very active governorship, and this unbridled energy cleared new pathways that his successors have had to follow. Sir Cuthbert himself had big shoes to fill: his father, J. Matthew Sebastian, who (a) established the socially and politically progressive newspaper, The Union Messenger, and became its first editor; and (b) was a founder and leader of the Workers’ League, and as such, dedicated his life to the betterment of the working class, particularly our sugar workers. Seventy-five years later, from the ground work of the father, the son Sir Cuthbert would ascend to the highest office in the land.
Given his paternal background and upbringing, it small wonder that Sir Cuthbert Sebastian dramatically expanded the invitee list to Government House, welcoming people from all walks of life on many occasions during his 17 year stint, 1996-2013. This was a far stretch from the 1920s when the typical Government House guest list would not have exceeded a maximum of 250 invitees from St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla. This of course is detailed in Sir Reginald St. Johnston’s memoir titled “From A Colonial Governor’s Note-Book.”
Sir Cuthbert further popularized the post of Governor General by gracing countless graduation ceremonies, lectures, dinners, cultural shows, groundbreaking ceremonies, pageants, awards presentations, church services and other fora with his patronage and/or presence. Up until the time of his death on March 25th 2017, Sir Cuthbert would have been the longest serving Governor General in the history of our beloved Country. This is a noteworthy achievement that befits a man who was remarkable in so many ways.
One of the most memorable attributes to Sir Cuthbert is that he had a way with words. During his farewell speech as Governor-General on New Year’s Day in 2013, he said that, “I shall miss from my office window the view of the cool, mysterious Springfield Cemetery. The echoes of the telephone will forever linger in my ears, and the singing of the National Anthem will forever enchant me.”
Those hauntingly beautiful words evoke Sir Cuthbert’s deep and abiding connection to this beautiful land and our wonderful people. It also speaks volumes about his brand of patriotism that is worthy of emulation. We who are left to mourn his sad passing must resolve to build our Nation and work together towards that common purpose – lest we squander or endanger the gains our Country has made. In so doing, we will live out the last few lines in the final stanza of our National Anthem:
No sword nor spear can conquer,
For God will sure defend;
His blessings shall forever to posterity extend.
May these beautiful words in our Anthem forever linger in our ears and may like Sir Cuthbert, these words enchant us, so that all the heroes, those declared and those unsung, who have walked before us can rest in eternal peace.
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