By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN Olympic icon Sir Durward Knowles died Saturday afternoon, three months after the country and global sailing community commemorated his life and legacy in the celebration of his 100th birthday.

Sir Durward became he Bahamas’ first Olympic medalist when he won a bronze medal in sailing with Sloane Farrington in Melbourne in 1956. Then, with Cecil Cooke, he brought home a gold medal from the 1964 Games in Tokyo.

In an interview with The Tribune yesterday, Charlotte Albury, Sir Durward’s daughter, said her father lived his waning months “overjoyed and content” by the love and admiration he received from Bahamians in the build-up to his most recent birthday on November 2.

Mrs Albury, recalling that period, said: “He was so happy to see 100 and to be able to enjoy it and enjoy the Bahamian people. You know, he loved his country. I think it was big for him to see the love, particularly over the last year or so, to see that this country loved him back.”

She added: “He always said he did what he did out of the love he had for The Bahamas and I think the embrace the country gave him, it gave him a true sense of accomplishment. He was, more than anything else, a proud Bahamian boy.

“Everything he did throughout his life, he did with the thought that it was moving his county forward.

“That’s why, whether here or abroad, the moment you mentioned The Bahamas or Bahamians, you knew he was going to give it everything he had.

“That was evident coming down to the end.”

Last year, the One Bahamas Foundation organised a 100-day countdown to Sir Durward’s 100th birthday.

As part of the celebrations, in November a blockbuster regatta was put on for the icon, who was the oldest living Olympic gold medalist at the time.

Sir Durward was honoured with The Bahamian Icon Award in 2014. That same year, the Christie administration honoured the sporting icon with the commissioning of a Royal Bahamas Defence Force vessel in his name.

In addition to his sporting legacy, Sir Durward was also a noted philanthropist and humanitarian. He was knighted in 1996.

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, who is in Haiti for a CARICOM meeting, released a statement recognising Sir Durward as a “true Bahamian patriot” whose gold medal feat established The Bahamas as a “sporting nation.”

“Sir Durward was an active and vibrant presence in the community, in sports and in business,” Dr Minnis’ statement noted. “He made great contributions to the maritime sector and as a maritime pilot mentored and empowered numerous maritime pilots of both the past and the current generation.

“A successful businessman, he was one of the driving forces behind One Bahamas that strived to unite all Bahamians.”

Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham also issued a statement, saying he was saddened to learn Sir Durward died so soon after the country celebrated his 100th birthday.

“I am pleased to pay tribute to Sir Durward upon whose shoulders many of us have been pleased to stand,” Mr Ingraham said in a statement. “Sir Durward was a committed Bahamian patriot and a man of great character. His love of our country transcended all barriers.

“He loved life and lived it to the fullest. It is our good SEE PAGE 8 for many generations of Bahamians to witness and draw inspiration from his life be it in sport, in business, in religion or in his great civic mindfulness. For this we are all grateful.

“I am especially pleased that Sir Durward lived to see his life work recognised, acknowledged and applauded by Bahamians of all walks of life, by civil society and by the government. He was truly a giant of a man and his life work and his personality are forever etched in the annals of our history. Sir Durward was also a loyal husband and nurturing father to his children and to all the young people whose lives he touched.

“On my own behalf on behalf of my wife Delores and all our family, I extend sincere condolences to Holly, Lady Knowles, and to Jill, Charlotte, and Randy in their bereavement. We share in your loss,” Mr Ingraham said.

Meanwhile, Progressive Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis applauded the Olympian’s social legacy.

“He parlayed his work as an Olympian into that of a tireless promoter of the sport of sailing, the training of young people, and a life full of participation in civic advocacy,” Mr Davis said in a statement. “He was a good business man.”

The Cat Island MP added: “Sir Durward was unique in his time and in his class and social demographic when he uttered the following words reported in 2011: ‘Boys and girls, you are living in a great country. I was brought up when white people were in charge of these lands and they treated the black people very badly. I’m here to apologise on our behalf. Today, we’re living in a great society.’”

Mr Davis said the comment, in the minds of ordinary Bahamians, raised Sir Durward head and shoulders above the rest.

Free National Movement Chairman Carl Culmer also applauded the legacy of Sir Durward in a statement of his own, calling the philanthropist a man for all seasons.

Sir Durward was admitted to hospital last week. He was surrounded by family and his minister as he passed.