BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - WITH full honours, the mortal remains of retired Sergeant Raphael John was on Friday (Apr. 27) laid to rest at the Springfield Cemetery following a thanksgiving service at the Co-Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in Basseterre.
SGT John known to many as ‘Crazy John’ passed away in the wee hours of Wednesday (Apr. 18) morning after battling with an ailment for over four years.
The very solemn service saw a large number of mourners including Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. Curtis Martin, Deputy Commissioner of Police Stafford Liburd, and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) with responsibility for Crime Ian Queeley.
The service began with tributes by close friends and family members as well as by a contingent from the Traffic Department, Jaro Electronics and the class of 2005 nurses who rendered songs including "Oh What a Sunrise" and "Oh They Tell Me".
Reflecting on the life of the late SGT John was his only daughter, Sandrine Phipps, who described her father as simply "strict".
She gave an overview of his humble beginnings in his birthplace, Grenada, as well as his life as a police officer in the Traffic Department of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF).
She also spoke about his sternness in the examination of new applicants for driver's license, noting that he put a fear in them.
Phipps went on to speak about her father's love for his car which he affectionately called 'Betsy', and the fond memories she had with him and the car.
"I remember the days when I used to sit on Bryson boxes as a car seat in Betsy. I could've seen the ground in the car while he [SGT John] was driving."
The officiating minister was Fr. Bernard Latus who described SGT John as stern stating that "many remember him when he was examining them for their licenses; many feared him for that".
He said that SGT John's sternness was only because he wanted to ensure the new drivers knew and obeyed the traffic laws noting that "we owe it to him that there are fewer road accidents".
"I once asked him [SGT John] why he was so stern and he said precisely this 'so that fewer accidents would be on the road'," he said.
Fr. Latus also described SGT John as a very dedicated policeman, stating "in one way or another Raphael John mattered to us in life".
In true Catholic style, SGT John's body was blessed with Holy Water and incense before being taken to his final resting place at the Springfield Cemetery.
Among those left to cherish his memories are his three children, Charles Douglas, Raphael Jacobs and Sandrine Phipps.
He also leaves seven grandchildren, three sisters, three brothers, one uncle, two aunts, many nieces and nephews in Grenada, USA and England.
Grenadian by birth, SGT John was raised in Mount Rose, Saint Patrick where he did farming and learned trades such as Masonry, Carpentry and Plumbing as a young boy before enlisting in the RSCNPF and moving to St. Kitts.
SGT John worked as a police officer in the Traffic Department for 32 years before retiring and making bus driving his new full time job - a profession he had part time while he was in the police force.
‘God is Love’ was the name of his bus which he drove with a passion even after he fell ill.
May his soul rest in peace.
