The inclement weather conditions held up well for the National Funeral accorded to the late and much-eulogized Speaker of the Anguilla House of Assembly, Mr. Leroy Clifford Rogers, on Friday, November 9.
The procession left the Court House, where his body was lying in state, for the Mount Fortune Seventh-day Adventist Church at East End. The route took in the Stoney Ground and Shoal Bay areas where the late Speaker operated his business enterprises and resided respectively.
The Church was already crowded when the funeral cortege arrived with the attendant pomp and ceremony by various uniformed bodies. The procession included contingents from the Royal Anguilla Police Force, the Cadet Corps, Immigration Department, Fire and Rescue Services, Her Majesty Prison and the Pathfinders.
The tribute section of the National Funeral was conducted by Pathfinder Major, Mrs. Maria Webster. Among those who paid tribute to the late Speaker were close friends – of during his boyhood days -including Sutcliffe Hodge, Ophelia Richardson, Alkins Rogers, and former parliamentary colleague and friend, Edison Baird.
Other tributes were delivered by the Men’s Fellowship and Choir of Ebenezer Methodist Church, the Blowing Point Christian Fellowship Church and High School classmates of the late Mr. Rogers.
Mrs. Chanelle Petty Barrett, Permanent Secretary, Home Affairs, conducted the Official Tributes at the commencement of the Order of Service. Speaking about Mr. Rogers, she said in part: “In his life as Speaker, he was known for being firm and resolute in his position, conducting the business of the House with fairness and integrity and exhibiting immeasurable patience and calm when challenged. It is clear from his chosen path that he was destined to serve the people of Anguilla in the Legislative arm of Government. As a nation it is only fitting that we say thank you and pay tribute to him for his humble and dignified service in positions of great influence.”
Mrs. Petty Barrett then joined the St. Augustine’s Chorale, conducted by Mr. Lennox Vanterpool, in a song of tribute to him. The others whom she called to deliver Official Tributes were His Excellency Governor Tim Foy, the Hon. Leader of the Opposition, Ms. Palmavon Webster, and the Hon. Chief Minister, Mr. Victor Banks, all of whom had previously spoken in the same manner during the Special Sitting of the House of Assembly two days before the National Funeral.
Following the National Anthem and the National Song, the rest of the National Funeral was taken over by the Minister of the Anguilla District of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Pastor Trent Berg, who gave the welcome remarks and later delivered the sermon. He took the opportunity to speak about his pastoral knowledge of the Speaker, and joined in commending him for his quality of life, civic and spiritual characteristics and the example he had set for others.
During the service there were a Prayer of Comfort by Evangelist Orin Fyffe, a former teacher in Anguilla who now serves in South Korea; Musical Selections by family members Foster and Vernon Rogers and James Harrigan; Cycare Wattley; The Royal Priesthood, a singing Seventh-day Adventist group; Scripture readings by family members Cycoiah Wattley and Shellya Rogers-Webster; the Formal Remembrance delivered by Mrs. Cherrille Franklin and the Vote of Thanks by Mrs. Hazel Charlane Harrigan respectively, both sisters of the late Speaker.
Another family member, Pastor Jerome Harrigan, of the Dominion Faith Centre, Pastor Gareth Hodge of the Hilltop Baptist Church, and First Elder, of the Mount Fortune Seventh-day Adventist Church, Keith Smith, also participated in the National Service.
The National Funeral procession, with the Official Flag of Anguilla draping the mahogany casket, wended its way to the Sandy Hill Cemetery where the Police Firing Party discharged a gun salute in honour of Mr. Rogers. The flag from the casket was presented to Mr. Rogers’ son, Sheldon Rogers, by Sergeant Delvin Fleming on behalf of the Government and people of Anguilla.
