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Reeial George Lying in State; Public paying respects
Mr George passed away at Peebles Hospital on Monday October 21, 2013.
The body of the late At Large Representative was taken to the HOA building for 9:30 A.M. for legislators to pay their respects until 10 A.M. when the public was allowed to do same until 3 P.M. today, November 1, 2013.
Virgin Islands News Online was able to speak to Mrs George who said she was happy to say that they shared a marriage for over 47 years, had two children and five grandchildren. “Every marriage has its ups and downs but we stayed together and we have had good times.”
Asked how she was able to cope as a wife of a politician, Mrs George said her husband gave service above self. “I learned to cope with it and I understood what he had to do because of the job he was doing. We were both working so we were both out at times but we had time for ourselves together and we went to church together and all of that.”
Reflecting on the last few days of her husband, Mrs George said his death was unexpected even though she was there at every stage of his illness. “He would look good as if he was getting better and then sometimes he wouldn’t look so good. At the end it was unexpected because I didn’t think it would have been so soon because I watched him from being a vibrant man and then he got a little slow then his health kept deteriorating.”
Daughter Joanne George described her father as the best man she has ever known and who she tries to emulate. “I am so at loss for words. He took care of me when I was a little girl and even when I became a woman. I emulate him in terms of following in his footsteps of being a police officer,” said Ms George who is attached to the Virgin Gorda Police Station.
Asked what would be her advice to persons when looking at the way her father lived, Ms George said “take life as it comes and try to be a good person as much as possible to people because you do not know where you are going to be from moment to moment. Because of his legacy that he has left for everyone, all of us should try to do our best to be as good as he was.”
Meanwhile, Mr Reeial George will be laid to rest on Saturday November 2, 2013.
There will be a procession from 9 A.M. from the vicinity of the Robinson O’Neal Primary School to the North Sound Methodist Church.
Viewing will be held from 9:30 to 11 A.M. with service to follow immediately.
Mr George will be laid to rest at the North Sound Public Cemetery.
Mr Reeial George, who was born in North Sound, Virgin Gorda September 17, 1938, was the Minister for Natural Resources and Labour from 2002-2003 following the firing of Honourable J. Alvin Christopher, the then Minister for Communications and Works with the Virgin Islands Party.
In 1960, the late George joined the Antigua, Montserrat, and Virgin Islands Police Force. He was the first Virgin Islander to have joined the force to serve locally. The former Minister also holds a Diploma from the North American School of Drafting.
The son of North Sound was also the founding member of the Virgin Gorda Lions Club in 1974 and served as Deputy District Governor representing the clubs from Dominica to the Virgin Islands.
The late Legislator was first elected to the Legislative Council to the then seventh district which was Virgin Gorda in 1971. In the following election of 1975, he lost to Hon. Ralph T. O’Neal OBE.
There was a boundaries commission around 1974 which then turned Virgin Gorda and Anegada into the now ninth district. The election of 1979 saw the return to power of Hon. O'Neal as the representative of that new ninth district.
The upgrading of the road system, the availability of more jobs for his people, and the improvement of schools and health facilities were among his many contributions.
In 1993, after the Constitutional Review that introduced the At-Large System to the Virgin Islands, Mr. George was elected as one of the first At-Large members in 1995 and re-elected again in 1999. He was defeated in the election of 2003, the first time the now National Democratic Party (NDP) government had gained power.
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