Elder statesman, mariner, entrepreneur and beloved family man Captain Eldon Kirkconnell was laid to rest Saturday, 1 July, following a service attended by hundreds who came to mourn his passing and celebrate his life.
Pat, his wife of 68 years, sat in the front pew of the Church of God Chapel on Walkers Road surrounded by her family, as relatives, government officials and friends paid tribute to her late husband. Captain Kirkconnell passed away peacefully on 8 June following a long illness at the age of 96.
Some described him as a business and political “visionary”. Others spoke of him as a man deeply grounded in his faith in God, and his great-granddaughter Alexandra Rose Kirkconnell told the congregation he was a “ray of light”.
All spoke of him with deep respect and love.
As during his lying in state at the Parliament Building on Friday, Captain Kirkconnell’s coffin was draped in the Cayman Islands flag, and flanked by two uniformed officers from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, the Coast Guard and the Fire Service, who alternated every few minutes.
The chapel was filled to capacity, with the overflow of the congregation seated at the Family Life Centre next door, where a live broadcast of the service was screened.
Family members and others in the congregation wore lavender in honour of Captain Kirkconnell. It was his favourite colour.
Before the service, photographs from throughout his life were displayed – from his early days as a young seafarer – he went to sea at age 19 – to his wedding with childhood sweetheart Natalie Patricia Rutty in 1954, and to more recent times when he was surrounded by his 14 great-grandchildren.
In a video presentation recorded before the service, which featured highlights from the late captain’s family life, his wife Pat recounted moments from their long and happy marriage.
She described 24 Nov. 1954 as the “happiest day of my life. That was the day I married the love of my life.”
She added, “The deep love we had for each other joined us together for almost 78 years. Our love stood the test of time. We had a wonderful marriage, a happy life and a beautiful family.”
After the couple married, they settled initially in Cayman Brac, building a house there, before moving to Jamaica for seven years when Kirkconnell returned to sea, often accompanied by his wife on his trips to Honduras, Tampa or Cuba. Their two children, Gerry and Debbie, were born in Jamaica. The family spent vacations on the Brac, before moving back after Eldon’s father Charles Gerald Kirkconnell passed away suddenly in 1961.
A couple of years later, they moved to Grand Cayman and opened a supermarket. This business grew and evolved over the years, and now Kirk Market, Kirk Freeport, Kirk Motors, Kirk Office and Kirk Home Centre are owned by the family.
While Captain Kirkconnell’s business acumen and his role in politics were highlighted at the service, speaker after speaker told of his deep religious faith.
He became a born-again Christian following a serious illness and was baptised in the cove at Hog Sty Bay. He read and studied his bible regularly, setting aside an hour a day to his devotions.
Grandson Father Joseph Kirkconnell, who led the congregation in the opening and closing prayers, told of a visit to his granddad when he saw him kneeling and praying beside his couch after his bible time.
“It was just a very powerful image to me, because this man, who we’ve heard of all his achievements and all he had; with humility, he knew it was all a gift, and so he acknowledged our Lord for everything that was given to him.”
Pastor Alson Ebanks, who delivered the sermon, said Captain Kirkconnell’s faith was his “driving force”, and explained that his religion had led him to decide never to open his stores on Sunday or venture into business that sold alcohol.
Premier Wayne Panton, delivering a tribute on behalf of the government, spoke of Captain Kirkconnell’s “indelible contribution” at a pivotal time in Cayman’s history.
Between 1962 and 1972, he served two terms as an elected member of the Legislative Assembly and one term as a member of the Executive Council.
He was Minister of Communications and Works when Cable and Wireless set up in Grand Cayman, and he made the first official long-distance phone call from Grand Cayman to England. Also, during his time as minister, Radio Cayman was established.
Premier Panton told the congregation, “The timeline of this incredible life’s journey would, no doubt, have coincided with the Cayman Islands’ emergence from the era of iron men in wooden ships to a new era of mastering some of the world’s largest motorised vessels, the cultivation of our national identity in the form of our coat of arms, our first constitution, the decision to remain a part of the United Kingdom, and the development of a thriving tourism and financial services industry. It is almost impossible for many of us to truly fathom the changes Caymanians of Captain Eldon’s generation would have witnessed in their lifetime.”
Tributes by son Gerry Kirkconnell and daughter Debbie Guyton, who took over the business when he retired, told of their deep love for their father, and of his for them and their children and grandchildren, as well as the example he had set throughout their lives.
“He encouraged me in whatever I wanted to do and did whatever he could to let me reach my goals,” Gerry stated in his tribute, which was read out by Brian Wight. He noted, “The best tribute I can think to give to my Dad is to say I am truly proud he was my Dad.”
Daughter Debbie’s tribute, read by Dr. Diane Hislop-Chestnut, described her father as her hero, saying he had raised her and her brother “to be honest, kind and respectful in life. He taught us that integrity was everything and no one could take away your good name.”
She noted, “Dad told me more than once he was not afraid of death and that he looked forward to going to heaven. Dad, you are now where you looked forward to going. May your sweet, loving, caring, beautiful soul rest in eternal peace.”
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