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A lookback @ late Gov Charles W. Turnbull; Ceremony Ellis Thomas Downs
Governor Turnbull holds the distinction of the only USVI Governor who had belonger status as both of his parents were born in the VI (Tortola).
He could have also claimed to be an indigenous Virgin Islander according to recent “opinions” of what is a Virgin Islander.
Was very close to VI
The late Governor was very close to the VI people and made frequent trips to Tortola especially after he left office, as he had many friends and family on Tortola the main island. Mr Turnbull was also an executor for family lands in the Paraquita Bay area of Tortola.
It was the late Governor Turnbull that authored the phrase the “Greater Virgin Islands” to show how close the two territories were.
In addition, it was in 2009 when his closeness to the VI was seen when he was invited to be the keynote speaker for the renaming of the Little A Race Track to the now Ellis Thomas Downs located in Sea Cows Bay.
Keynote speaker for Ellis Thomas Downs
All including the then Government of the late Premier, Ralph T. O’Neal OBE and the Thomas family felt that Governor Turnbull was the best person to speak because of his close ties to the British Overseas Territory and the family of the late Ellis Thomas.
After his death tributes have poured in from VI residents including Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) Third District Representative and Opposition Leader, Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3), and former Speaker of the House of Assembly Julian Willock who was a close friend of the deceased Governor.
Here are some photos from Virgin Islands News Online & Government information service archives of the ceremony at Ellis Thomas Downs in 2009.
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