Sir Courtney celebrated

The founding Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados and former Barbados Ambassador to the United States was laid to rest today following a farewell service, steps away from the imposing edifice he headed almost five decades ago.

Sir Courtney Blackman was heralded by the sitting Governor Cleviston Haynes as the nurturer of the institution from its inception in 1972 when at 39, he became the world’s youngest Central Bank Governor. He was 88 when he died on March 16 at his residence in Florida.

Following the service at the Cathedral Church of St Michael and All Angels, Sir Courtney’s remains were transported for burial to the St David’s Anglican churchyard in Christ Church.

Sir Courtney’s wife Gloria Lady Blackman, their three sons Keith, Christopher and Martin, his grandchildren, siblings and other close relatives were also joined by Haynes and staff of the Bank for today’s sendoff. Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley paid her final respects before the start of the service before having to leave to attend to other matters of state.

In his tribute, Governor Haynes said Sir Courtney’s 15 years in the role were widely celebrated for their investment in capital development, the promotion of institutional strengthening and involvement in national economic and financial affairs.

Haynes said that Sir Courtney is credited with overseeing the introduction of Barbados’ national currency in 1973. He was also intimately involved in the July 1975 decision to tie the island’s currency to the United States dollar at a rate of BDS$2 to US$1.

The Governor said before there was a Ministry of International Business, Sir Courtney facilitated a prominent role for the Bank in helping to grow Barbados’ international business and financial services industry into the country’s second-largest foreign exchange earner.

Sir Courtney also devoted considerable human and financial resources to the international business industry, while shepherding the island through the recession in the early 1980s and facing severe criticism at times for his call for wage restraint from politicians and trade unions, Haynes said.

“He also faced intense criticism for the construction of the Bank’s headquarters, deemed as too costly at the time. But with characteristic, resoluteness and steadfastness he defended his stance against the public. He also strongly believed that the Bank should be involved in the community in which it serves to inspire hope and confidence among the people.

“His insistence, therefore, on gifting a performance art space to Barbados was outside the realm of central banking. Today, the Frank Collymore Hall remains Barbados’ premier centre for the performing arts. To perform there is an honour for artistes and its rich legacy is one that all successive governors have been keen to maintain,” Haynes noted.

The body of the distinguished Governor was aptly reposed for viewing on Thursday in the Courtney Blackman Grand Salle, the widely-used area named in his honour.

Governor Haynes also stressed that Sir Courtney’s contribution to the Bank should not be limited to the economic policies that he crafted or the physical structures that he championed. His legacy must also take account of the role he played in recruiting well qualified, educated and informed staff to carry on the institution’s legacy.

In their public tribute, Sir Courtney’s sons, Keith, Christopher and Martin recalled that their devoted father paid significant interest in the educational pursuits of his children and grandchildren and others.

Keith told the mourners that his dad often asked his offspring what they were doing to add to their human capital.

“We understood very quickly that adding to your human capital meant expanding your knowledge. That is all he wanted us to do to find opportunities, to expand our knowledge. Also, he was great at encouraging us, lifting our spirits,” Keith noted.

“One summer when Chris and I were about nine, we began taking entrance exams for private schools in New York which struck fear in our hearts, and fear that we would disappoint our parents with subpar results.

“But daddy, sensing our trepidation, one day as we were on our way to one such test looked at us before we entered the room and said, ‘do your best and then to heck with it’. That abated our nerves quickly. He always had that right touch and sensed when words of wisdom and encouragement were needed. And dear I say, that day we performed quite well in that exam.”

Christopher remembered his father as an individual who despite his status and gains in life, often helped others without expecting anything in return. He said his dad had a remarkable sense of right and wrong.

Dean of the St Michael’s Cathedral Dr Jeffrey Gibson told those gathered, that as they celebrate the life, work and service of Sir Courtney, they must thank God for his contribution to the search for a better humanity.

“We remember with thanksgiving his integrity, commitment to his family, sense of duty, enthusiasm and energy, his prudence and foresight, and among other things, his pioneering work in establishing the Central Bank of Barbados. A rich pattern of life is complete and for all its satisfaction, let us give God thanks and open ourselves to be comforted by God’s grace.

“Through the years, Sir Courtney formed a mutually supportive relationship between the Central Bank of Barbados and this Cathedral church; a relationship between the centre of finances and the spiritual centre of the Diocese of Barbados, the City and the nation,” said Dean Gibson.
(anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb)