The passing of Robert Henry Houston Nunes, a Cayman Islands sporting legend, has left many in the community saddened but also grateful for his contribution to the country throughout his illustrious life.
Nunes, known as ‘Bobby’ by many of his peers, was born on 12 May 1934 in Jamaica and passed away on 24 Nov. 2024 in the Cayman Islands – the place he has called his home since the early 70s.
Following his time serving on the West Indies Cricket board and founding the Jamaica Cycling Federation in 1962, Nunes brought his knowledge to Cayman and founded the Cayman Islands Cycling Association in 1982. He also helped develop swimming locally alongside the Flowers family.
He was the secretary general for the Cayman Islands Olympic Committee for several years and served as president of the organisation from 1992–2001.
Nunes’s friend and lawyer Carlos de Serpa Pimentel told the Compass that he first started working for Nunes in 2008 and over the years, they became good friends.
“Bobby was a client of our firm going back to the days of Hunter & Hunter for around 40 years. I think he was the longest held private client of the firm,” de Serpa Pimentel said.
De Serpa Pimentel described Nunes as a good, very intelligent, kind and generous friend to many people, saying he was a true gentleman and one of a rapidly diminishing breed of Jamaican gentleman of a certain era.
“He no doubt had a privileged upbringing and was sent to boarding school in England at Dulwich College, a prestigious public school,” de Serpa Pimentel said. “He then studied law at Cambridge and qualified as a lawyer and practiced in Jamaica.
“After Bobby stopped practicing law, he devoted himself to charitable work in Cayman for decades, particularly with his role on the Olympic Committee. He mentored and helped countless young Caymanians through his work, on an entirely voluntary basis.
“He always said he would have made much more money if he had continued as a lawyer, but he got a huge amount of satisfaction from working in sport and taking the teams to so many events such as the Olympics and Commonwealth Games all around the world.”
‘He gave me my first pair cycling shoes’
One athlete who benefited from Nunes over the years was Caymanian Olympic pioneer Craig Merren. Merren, still feeling hurt by the loss of his friend and father figure in many respects, remembered when his coach accompanied him to his first Olympics in 1984 in LA.
“He helped me, Perri and Merilyn out in the early 80s when cycling was starting,” Merren told the Compass about Nunes, his first true coach. “He gave me my first pair [of] cycling shoes, socks and bought my first cycling jersey and cycling pants from Renard Sports Shop in 1982.
“[In] 1984 he bought my first real racing frame, a French-made Vitus along with a new Campy Record group set, top notch back in the day.”
Merren said Nunes’s enormous support’ throughout his cycling career bonded their relationship from the time he was a teenager, and it continued to grow until his last breath.
“I will forever cherish our deep relationship and will miss him,” Merren said of his late coach and mentor.
A man of the people
Nunes, who was full of ideas according to de Serpa Pimentel, didn’t only assist in sports. His passion overflowed into helping low-income people in Cayman as well.
“He would write papers and send them off to governments and agencies such as the United Nations, for example, on how to improve housing for underprivileged people,” he said.
“Bobby gave a huge amount to the voluntary sector in Cayman and was really an unsung hero who did not receive the public recognition he probably deserved. I never heard him say a bad thing about anyone even if he had been disappointed by someone or something.”
The two had many fascinating conversations over the years, with de Serpa Pimentel recalling his client having an impish sense of humour, “a twinkle in his eye” and a charming character.
De Serpa Pimentel recalled the story of when Nunes travelled by ship from Jamaica to England for school.
The journey would take two weeks and Nunes, along with the other schoolboys, would play cricket on the deck and smoke cigarettes to pass time, de Serpa Pimentel said.
“He had fond memories of his school days, even though they were tough years after World War II, and of life in Jamaica before moving to Cayman,” he said.
“He lived a long and fulfilling life passing away aged 90 and will be missed by many friends.”
A president’s tribute
Lori Powell, who occupies the seat Nunes once held as the president of the Cayman Islands Olympic Committee, told the Compass she was saddened to hear of the passing of the past president, who motivated her to pursue the role she has today.
“He should certainly be remembered for the early development of sport in the Cayman Islands and Jamaica,” Powell said.
“On a personal note, I acknowledge him as the person who encouraged me to become involved with the CIOC many years ago when I was very involved in swimming on island. …
“On behalf of the CIOC, I would like to extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and acknowledge and thank Bobby for his many years of service in the development of sports in the Cayman Islands”
A memorial for Nunes will take place at Seascape Villa on Sunday, 15 Dec. from 5-7pm.
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