A loving father, friendly scholar, and proud Barbadian, were just some of the ways Sir Courtney Blackman was described during his farewell service held on Sunday.
Blackman, who was the founding Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados, became widely known as an esteemed Barbadian diplomat after his tenure at the Central Bank, as Governments and organizations the world over consulted with him on his expertise in the area of economics.
During the brief service, his sons Keith, Christian and Martin, spoke of their father as not only a statesman for the island, but a loving father who was proud to be there for his sons, and raised them to respect all persons, regardless of their station in life, and to be hungry towards education.
During the eulogy, Keith Blackman said: “Everyone who knew my father, knows the importance he placed on education and acquiring knowledge [that] he viewed as an absolute joy. I think back to occasions with Chris and I, and Martin, we would come home from school, Harrison College, and we would ecstatically declare ‘We have no homework tonight’, only to have quickly that joy extinguished by our father with the [response], ‘What do you mean you have no homework, there is always homework to do.’”
Keith Blackman said his father would always respond by saying: “You can always read around the subject, go read around the subject.”
Martin Blackman remembered his father as a kind man, who despite his position, would always make time to talk to any and everyone he had the pleasure of coming into contact with.
“I recall several afternoons waiting at the bank, waiting for him to be done with work and to take us home. Waiting while he spoke to maids, cleaning lady, security guard, janitors, just whoever was in the building, while we just wanted to get going. Of course it often ended with him wanting to proudly introduce them to his sons, which was another drag.
“But we learned a lessons that has never left us, I think our father felt this very deeply. Everyone, no matter who they are, has a story worth listening to,” he said.
An emotional Keith Blackman said: “He put my mother first, he put our family first, and he put his country first.” (SB)
