The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Sir Durward Knowles, the last “pure example” of what a real Bahamian should be like, has sailed his last race, which he won “going away”.

His successes in sailing internationally as an Olympian are well documented with a Gold Medal in the Star class at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, together with Cecil Cooke. He won the bronze medal in1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. He had previously competed for the United Kingdom in the 1948 Olympics finishing in 4th place in the Star class. He also won gold in the 1959 Pan American Games.

He was many things to many people, but his greatest humanitarian feat was his contrition in apologising for the wrong committed by the white UBP merchant class on the masses. This humanitarian gesture alone is what distinguished him from the many who, to this day disagreed with him.

He, along with Algernon Allen, Sir Orville Turnquest and others in their collective wisdom and passion, sought fit to “bridge the divide that obviously existed creating a “One Bahamas”.

Sir Durward, gave from his heart, freely and often. In fact no superlatives would not do him justice. He crossed the colour line and touched all with his philanthropy. There has never been or will be another Bahamian who has helped more, especially ordinary people than Sir Durward.

Let me reiterate, he crossed every boundary with his generosity, racially, politically, socially. There was a profound respect for him by everyone from all walks of life. The small man from “over the hill” welcomed him, more than any other.

We in The Bahamas have been searching for a hero under every nook and cranny, we even created reasons why some should be known as heroes, but few can say that he was not a hero by all the people.

We respected and revered him. I certainly did!

I can find no other Bahamian who has represented what we all should be like. He was the best of us. He epitomised what “love thy neighbour as thyself” really means. He lived it, with a smile.

There are few if any who can say anything negative about him. He alone was in this category.

Not even in the church can we find a warm, selfless human.

Sir Durward would be unanimously known by every Bahamian as the “hero of heroes, par excellence”.

He loved us and we loved him too. What a glorious life he lived. He cannot be replaced. An era has ended. The sun has set.

Sail on, sail on in the great beyond! Farewell my brother, you will be missed by everyone.

I thank God that he allowed a man like you to live here. I trust that we would use your life as a measuring stick to fashion our lives after, where all men are created equal and be treated as such.

I am comforted that your soul is already resting in peace.

Well done!

IVOINE INGRAHAM

Nassau,

February 25, 2018