A man who was proud of his duty to his country.
This was how Kwame Griffith described his father, Dr Rupert Griffith, on Monday.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives was celebrated by many of his former Cabinet colleagues from his time as a United National Congress and People’s Partnership administrations were present during the funeral service at the Greater Malabar Christian Centre, in Arima.
PNM members, La Horquetta/Talparo MP Maxie Cuffie and Sangre Grande Regional Corporation chairman Terry Rondon also attended the service. Former government minister Jack Warner was also in attendance.
Griffith passed away last Wednesday at the age of 72, after ailing for some time. He leaves to mourn three children, Kwame, the eldest, two daughters, Katrina and Karla, and his wife Sharon.
Kwame said saying goodbye to his father would not be the hardest part but rather learning to live without him.
During the eulogy, he said his father was very proud of his service to Trinidad and Tobago. He said his father also loved to brag about his kids, but also looked out for the welfare of children. “He loved everything about Christmas, from parang music to his ridiculous big red hat that was up there a little bit ago. He used to wear it when he gave out Christmas hampers or toys to kids. Or watching the news with him, and seeing his anguish and sometimes tears when he would see kids being harmed or mistreated. Kids he didn’t even know, he just so loved children,” said Kwame, who also recalled that his father’s favourite biblical figure was David, not because he felled Goliath, but because he chose not to kill King Saul because he knew it was not God’s will.
“This explained a lot about how he lived his life, trying to live according to God’s will or God’s way,” his son said.
In his sermon, the former speaker’s brother Pastor Dr Herbert Griffith told the congregation that his brother understood that many did not understand his decisions, but he made choices with good intentions.
“He didn’t look for write-ups, he understood that everybody would not see it his way, he appreciated that folks would not understand his strategic moves the spirit that was driving him,” the pastor said.
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar met with Dr Rupert Griffith’s widow, Sandra Griffith, and his children prior to the start of his funeral and shared her memories of Griffith towards the end of the funeral.
She said he would be remembered as a patriot of Trinidad and Tobago.
About Dr Rupert Griffith
Griffith served as a former member of Parliament for Arima and later Toco/Sangre Grande.
He won the Arima seat as a member of the People’s National Movement in 1991 and re-elected as MP in the 1995 General Election and won the seat in Sangre Grande in 2010.
The UNC formed a coalition government with the National Alliance for Reconstruction after the 1995 polls closed with the result 17-17-2 stalemate.
Griffith crossed the floor alongside Dr Vincent Lasse from the PNM to Basdeo Panday’s UNC in 1997, allowing Panday’s administration to enjoy a stable majority.
He remained a member of UNC thereafter.
Griffith was cremated in a private ceremony after the service.