Former governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) Sir K Dwight Venner (inset) received a fitting send-off during an official funeral at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Castries, St Lucia, Jan 4, 2016.
In the presence of regional heads of government, dignitaries, politicians, friends, family members and a worldwide television audience, Sir Kenneth Dwight Venner was remembered yesterday in a ceremony fit for the man who served as governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank for more almost three decades.
During the official funeral service at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in St Lucia, Prime Minister of St Lucia, Allen Chastanet delivered an emotional tribute.
“On Thursday December 22, 2016, we lost a true Caribbean genius; Sir Dwight was amongst the best of us. The loss to St Lucia of a great director of finance and Planning; a man who laboured with the late Sir John [Compton]; a man who is accustomed to making tough decisions; a man who showed un-parallelled level of commitment; and a man who knew what hard work was,” Chastanet said.
He reflected on the last moment he shared with Sir Dwight, which happened to be the same day he died.
“He spoke to me passionately about the banking fraternity and what we had to do to keep our indigenous banks, all the time cringing in pain. On that evening when I departed I never thought this would be the last time that we would have spoken. He was being pampered by his wife and family,” Chastanet added.
Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, offered words of comfort to those in mourning in the form of poetry.