By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FRIENDS and family gathered yesterday afternoon at the Pro-Cathedral of Christ the King in Freeport for a memorial service for Sir Jack Hayward, who was remembered as “a privileged, but humble man” and a generous philanthropist who gave much of his wealth to helping others.

Sir Jack, 91, was cremated and his funeral was held in his home town of Wolverhampton, England, on February 3. Thousands lined the streets as the cortege made its way to St Peter’s Church to bid their countryman farewell.

In The Bahamas, the loss of Sir Jack was also deeply felt, especially in Grand Bahama where he had lived for the past 59 years – from his early years as a young pioneer developer of Freeport, helping to turn some 230 square miles of pine barren into a city with investments worth $11 billion today.

A painted portrait of Sir Jack featured prominently at the front of the church. Leading the family was his eldest son, Rick. Mrs Patti Bloom, Sir Jack’s partner of many years sat with the Hayward family. Giles Hayward and Rupert Hayward, his grandchildren, delivered the scripture readings.

In tribute to his late father, Mr Hayward read a poem, ‘Fathers are Wonderful People,’ by Debora Waddell. At the end, he became emotional.

He noted that while his father was born in Wolverhampton, he never returned fully to live there. “This was his home, The Bahamas, from 1951 to the day he died,” his son said. Sir Jack, who was knighted in 1986, died on January 13 in Fort Lauderdale.

Mr Hayward said: “It is important to note that all the wonderful things he did, he could never have done without Grand Bahama, all the lovely Bahamian people who worked hard to build this place up. He would not have had the money to do all the fabulous things without the success of Freeport.”

Erica Gates, a prominent businessperson and long time resident of Grand Bahama, said Sir Jack was a remarkable man who had a genuine love for the island and its people, and a burning desire to see it grow and prosper. She also mentioned his vision of the Grabaco Bridge – building a bridge between Grand Bahama and Abaco.

“Through the years, as chairman of the Grand Bahama Development Company, he endured the many hardships of a young pioneer.” She said that he and his partner, Edward St George, “enticed many foreign businesses to see the potential of this magic city and invest here”.

“Towards the end of his life, Sir Jack had a real sense of urgency to get things done,” she said, including having a museum on Grand Bahama, designating land in October and the former clubhouse at the old Shannon Golf Course for it to become a reality.

“It was his wish that the museum of Grand Bahama would document the colourful history of his great island … with public, corporate and government support we can make Sir Jack’s vision a reality,” she said.

Mrs Gates also mentioned the charities and organisations that he helped, including the YMCA, the Bahamas National Trust, the Salvation Army, the Cancer Association, Jack Hayward High School, Sir Jack Hayward Youth Soccer Club, Grand Bahama Sailing Club, the Sir Charles Hayward Library and many more.

She said he also made contributions to countless others, globally, including contributions to the hospitals in the Falkland Islands during the war with Argentina and his patronage through ownership of the Wolverhampton Wanderers soccer team.

Prime Minister Perry Christie also paid tribute. “I come here today not to mourn the passing of Sir Jack Hayward but rather to speak in celebration of his life: a life that positively impacted millions of his British countrymen and at the same time, in a completely different way, on the other side of the Atlantic, here in this second city of our nation, touched the lives of many thousands of our own countrymen,” he said. “What was so wonderful about our last chat together was how this 90 plus year-old man still believed so passionately in Freeport and its future.”

Peter Turnquest, Deputy Leader of the FNM, said Sir Jack would be remembered for helping to develop “a modern city envied by many”, noting that Sir Jack made significant contributions to education, providing through the Port Authority scholarships to hundreds of Bahamian students, and was honoured by government for that with the naming of the Jack Hayward High School.

Sarah St George, vice chairman of the Grand Bahama Port Authority, said Sir Jack’s memorial marks a “bitter-sweet” day in Freeport.

“Jack was terminally ill for sometime, but never let on,” she said. “Last Christmas, he was only given a month to live, but didn’t say. He worked till his last day here (at the Port Authority),” she said. “Here today as we reflect on Sir Jack’s Herculean achievements, we honour his virtues, we forgive his faults and treasure all the memories.”