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| December 15, 1933 – November 11, 2019 |
Every nation has it nation builders and/or leaders who inspire, shape and lead the country. In the BVI, one such person is Hon. Ralph T. O'Neal, who passed away on November 11, 2019. He was the Ninth District Representative, which covers Virgin Gorda and Anegada, for almost fort (40) years. He served as Chief Minister and as the territory's first Premier, and was Leader of the Opposition three times. Hon. O'Neal had a wealth of knowledge and was party to many developments which the territory benefits from today.
My first communication with Hon. O'Neal was when I needed a government service. I was very young and I remember being surprised at how quickly he responded, as Minister for the subject, to my request. Since then, I have never worked with him or had to communicate with him directly. The only time I really interacted with him was at an event and at that moment, I considered him a gentle giant. At that moment, he reminded me of Hon. Reeial George, who had passed on October 21, 2013. Kind, professional, generous, dedicated and polite were the words that came to mind. I had the pleasure of working with Hon. George for a few months and I can attest to his pleasant personality.
Leaders such as Hon. O'Neal and Hon. George leave a legacy that many of us can only aspire to reach. These men and many other nation builders dedicate their lives to serve the people - during the good and the bad. They had vision and charisma, which are great characteristics for a politician. However, I think these stalwarts went far beyond the politics and vested their lives into nation building and developing our people. I think that Hon. O'Neal being elected as Ninth District Representative for almost 40 years speaks for itself.
I can only encourage the upcoming leaders to always remember their followers and to ensure that the people are always placed first in every decision. We have come a long way in the territory and it will take more people like Hon. Hamilton Lavity Stoutt, Hon. Cyril B. Romney, Mr. Noel Lloyd, Hon. Ralph T. O'Neal, Mr. Lindey deCastro, Hon. Reeial George and others to take us to the next phase, next level, next challenge and next development.
I offer my sincere condolences to the family of Hon. Ralph T. O'Neal and pray that they are comforted at this tough time. May his soul rest in peace.
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