The following is a tribute to the late Sir Ellis Clarke by the National Youth Council of Trinidad and Tobago:
It is a sombre occasion today as we lay to rest the first President of our nation, the man who is being heralded as the grandfather of our nation. As Sir Ellis takes his final journey this morning, the National Youth Council of Trinidad and Tobago takes this opportunity to bid him farewell.
His many contributions to building our society have been sung as a beautiful ballad that sweetens the media's airwaves, and its lyrics have been published in our print press for the last week. To you Sir Ellis Clarke, we say Rest in Peace. We offer condolences to his family, friends and to the national community at this time. May the Good Lord bless and keep you strong in this time of mourning. His life reflected that of a true citizen, one who has received stirring tributes from most of the current and past leaders of note that go past the regular pleasantries of condolence. It is important to note that many recognised him also as an advisor, and speak liberally of the way in which he aided them in making difficult decisions.
In such a time, it is instructive to note that many of these contributions may not have been written into the history books, and many of our young people may have been unaware of these facts which are now being publicly unearthed at the time of his passing. Therefore, we encourage our government officials to strengthen the educational system to include a more diverse civic education of these notable persons within our society before they pass so that our youth will have the opportunity to meet and recognise them while they are still with us.
To our nation's youth, take an example from Sir Ellis' life. Take the time to consider what you would like to achieve in your life, and for what you would hope to be remembered. Write it down and keep it in a safe place and then live your life backwards, doing those things that will build toward that ultimate goal. We salute the life of Sir Ellis Emmanuel Innocent Clarke TC, GCMG CMG. He will live on in the hearts and minds of many in our nation. In the words of Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar, "Cowards die many times before their deaths; Sir Ellis will never taste of death but once."