CLOSE Friends of late Prime Minister David Thompson reflected on their friendship and aspects of his life during separate interviews with the DAILY NATION?after yesterday’s funeral at Kensington Oval.
Superintendent of Dodds Prisons, Colonel John Nurse, proudly recalled that he handed over headboy to Thompson while they were at Combermere school.
He described their relationship as very close. “It is a very sad occasion. David and I go back from school. We were very close and he was a very good friend. I?was actually travelling when I heard of his death. I?was happy that I was able to be here to witness the funeral service. My thoughts are with the family.”
Principal of Combermere School, Vere Parris, said the school would always be indebted to Thompson.
“David meant so much to all of us that it is impossible for a day like this to past without us paying our respects.
I wanted more Combermerians here but we couldn’t get enough tickets for them all . . . . His contribution has been tremendous in the short time that he has been here; we have now to continue to live his vision. We expect that our young people, taking the example from him, would continue to want to emulate him and certainly he would always be remembered in our hearts – in our lives. Combermere will always be indebted to him for all that he has done for us and we will perpetuate his memory.
Contractor Mohammed Nassar who played a pivotal role in the Democratic Labour Party’s 2008 campaign, expressed hope that his death would unite Barbadians.
“I am saddened like everyone else to see such a good man snatched away from life so early. I?believe that we need to really look at what he did and try
to use this time to unite the people of Barbados. We should be able to get the rich and the poor united together to help this country. I hope that his death will bring unity. The country is saddened right now and with God’s blessing this whole thing might be a blessing. Sometimes someone has to die for others to move forward.”
Attorney-at-law Philip Pilgrim said he had to attend the funeral “to bring closure to an extremely sad situation”.
“I really couldn’t miss it”, Pilgrim stated, pointing out that he knew Thompson as an attorney.
Media officer at the West Indies Cricket Board, Philip Spooner, who grew up in St John, said Thompson always made his presence felt when he attended activities in the constituency.
“The St John cricket competition was one of the things he looked forward to every year around Independence. When I left the joined the Royal Gazette Newspaper in Bermuda, Mr Thompson was one of the persons who gave me a letter of recommendation, which I?still have. He has always been someone that I admired and looked up to.”
