Hon. Ralston Milton 'Rex' Nettleford

In a sometimes emotional ceremony held on the morning of Wednesday, Mar. 3, at the UWI Open Campus, friends, colleagues and members of government rose to speak in warm remembrance of the recently departed former vice-chancellor emeritus of the university.

Themed as, "A Service of Remembrance in Celebration of the Life of Professor the Honorable Ralston Milton 'Rex' Nettleford," the ceremony was scheduled to feature tributes from Sir K. Dwight Venner, Prime Minister Hon Dr. Denzil Douglas, Mrs. Victoria Richardson, the Hon. Mr. Joseph Parry, Dr. Robertine Chaderton, His Honor Mr. Eustace John, Mrs. Julie Renwick, Sir Probyn Inniss, and Ms. Edith Bellot.

Professor Nettleford left behind an enormous legacy, one filled with innovation, the pursuit of excellence and an unfailing commitment to preserving Caribbean history. "A Man for All Seasons" was an apt depiction by Rev. Dr. Wycherley Gumbs in a distributed leaflet that shared reflections on his life.

On Feb. 2, the Caribbean icon succumbed to the complications from a massive heart attack suffered on Jan. 27. He passed away at George Washington Hospital in Washington D.C. just before his 77th birthday.

At the remembrance ceremony, Mrs. Olivia Edgecombe-Howell, Country Head of the UWI Campus, St. Kitts and Nevis, spoke emotionally of the "deep grief" that the news of Prof. Nettleford's passing triggered. Calling him a "talented yet humble gentleman," Mrs. Edgecombe-Howell posited that her initial sense of loss has been eased by the contemplation of his legacy - part of which was living a life that showed others how to make use of their God-given gifts to the fullest extent.

To Sir K. Dwight Venner, Chairman of the UWI Open Campus and Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, Professor Nettleford represented a living example of the principles of discipline, dedication and excellence. Noting that the departed icon was someone who "carried the Caribbean banner internationally," Sir Venner related his personal experience as a young post-graduate student of participating in a 1971 lecture tour throughout the islands that was sponsored by Professor Nettleford. Inspired by the tour, each member of the group went on to have outstanding careers in government and business.

"It is said that in death we are seen most clearly," began Prime Minister Dr. Denzil L. Douglas in his tribute. He went on to extol the virtues of the "fiercely elegant protector of Caribbean memories," and his compelling persona and presence.

Noting Professor Nettleford's lifelong emphasis on self-respect, and uplifting regional history and culture, the Prime Minister said, "We as Caribbean people should forever take his visionary words deep in our hearts. … The man we gather to honor has helped us to understand what we can be."

Dr. Douglas praised Professor Nettleford's "rare and expansive intellect," which gave him the wherewithal to rise above the strictures of colonialism. Referring to the academician's bourgeoning legacy in the arts, the Prime Minister asserted that, "singers and dancers are a nation's activists, because they shape souls and affect minds."

To Mrs. Victoria Richardson, a local tutor, Professor Nettleford promoted a strong sense of intrinsic worth among his fellow Caribbean people in the face of widespread cultural degradation, eschewing any thoughts of inferiority in doing so.

"We must now work on his preservation," she enjoined.

Rev. Dr. Gumbs, who led the closing meditation, wrote in the reflections about the 'Man for All Seasons': "He would urge our students to face the 'ill winds' of indifference, ignorance, hatred, apathy and cynicism with a collective resolve. He would remind them that apathy is an equal opportunity destroyer which drains them and us of creativity and the creation of a reservoir of possibilities for the advancement of the region, not as individual units, but as one Caribbean."