St Philip folk say farewell to “Cappy” Greenidge

Scores of mourners gathered at St Catherine Anglican Church on Thursday to pay their respects to the late Rudolph Cappy Greenidge, former Member of Parliament for St Philip North, deputy president of the Senate and prominent community figure, as his body laid in repose.

Greenidge, who died on August 2 at the age of 79, will be laid to rest following a funeral service at Coral Ridge Memorial Gardens on Friday.

Among those attending were many parishioners from his hometown of Marley Vale, Bayfield, Blades Hill, East Point and surrounding areas, who began arriving just after 2 p.m., an hour before the event was scheduled to begin. The former parliamentarian’s legacy as a committed public servant and beloved community figure was evident in the outpouring of tributes at the viewing, where his family, friends, and constituents gathered to honour his memory

Greenidge’s brother, Henderson Clarke, expressed gratitude to the attendees for their support during the family’s time of grief.

“On behalf of the family, we thank you; we also want to thank all the dignitaries and well-wishers who came out. We have gotten a lot of strength from the love that was shown to us over the last couple of weeks,” Clarke said.

Reflecting on his brother’s life and legacy, Clarke emphasised how much the family would miss him.

“We are going to miss Cappy a lot; he was the go-to person in the family,” he said.

Clarke also praised Greenidge’s political career, noting that he maintained his integrity throughout.

“He went into politics, went in clean and came out clean, and to some extent, that would have been taking the orders of our parents, who always said to us that no matter what you do, do not let any success or failures in life determine who you are.”

Clarke spoke of Greenidge’s deep connection to his community as “a son of the soil.” He highlighted Greenidge’s lifelong ties to St Philip and St Catherine, where he was born, baptised, and educated. Greenidge’s involvement in community life included being a member of St Catherine’s Club cricket team and serving as president of the St Catherine’s Social and Sports Club.

“He represented the constituency with a lot of grace and dignity,” Clarke said, adding: “He did things that pleased not only us but the entire St Philip North constituency.

“He is indeed a true son of the soil,” said Clarke. “A person that everybody can take heart from. What he has achieved, he achieved through his hard work and diligence to his duties.”

Greenidge served as an MP from 1994 to 2003 and held various key roles, including minister of sports, deputy president of the Senate, educator, and attorney-at-law. His contributions to public service were widely respected, with Prime Minister Mia Mottley describing him earlier this month as “a gentle giant” and “the epitome of traditional Barbadian country folk, and the consummate ‘Philippine’.”