Remembering John Horne

Monday, April 22, was the fifth anniversary of the death of John Horne, a man whom I respected and thought very much of. He was a good friend, and I remembered the many discussions we had, and the many times spent with mutual friends. The last time I saw him was a few days before he died and was then very concerned about his state but at the same time very hopeful about his recovery. It was something else to see someone who had often been the centre of attraction being in the state in which I saw him. The best way I seek to remember him on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of his death is to rework an article I had written then. It follows:

Good Bye to a Real Man- John Horne

I really could not think of another way of describing the late John Horne. He was one hell of an individual, genuine as one can be. He loved people and always gave them his undivided attention. No child was too small to command his attention. Quite often when I met him speaking to a young person, he will say to me; Adrian, do you remember John Davis (fictitious name), well this is his great grandson. He will then proceed to tell the young man/woman stories about his/her great grandfather.

He was the same individual whether as a minister of government or in civilian life. I knew about John for a long time since his brother Everard Horne was married to my grandmother, Estelle Lampkin’s niece, Elise; a union that produced Patrick, Dr Stanley Horne, and Margaret (deceased). When I entered the Grammar School John had already left and was into banking. On returning from my first set of studies abroad John hosted me in Barbados and took me around to meet a number of his friends. One visit was at a home not too far from the campus where I met a number of Dominican students. When I went to Barbados two years after to continue my studies, I met a student whom I later realised was one I was introduced to by John. The rest is history.

In 1984, at the time of Carnival, I came home on vacation from my studies abroad. The date of elections had recently been announced and the night before John had been officially declared a candidate. I met John in town the next day around the area of the Old JUC building. Before we could greet each other, a woman came up and said “Mr John a hear you contesting the elections. Well ah have to tell you is Horne for Dem!” Becket’s calypso Horn Fuh Dem was the popular calypso then. John’s entry into politics facilitated by a petition from residents of West Kingstown coloured the political atmosphere. I started walking with John in the direction of the post office. That was something else! It took us two hours to get to the post office because every man, woman and child passing by came up to him saying how happy they were. It was John’s entry that transformed the political climate where the governing party had been boasting that it had caught the Opposition with its pants down.

John was articulate and was an excellent orator. He was very much sought after to deliver eulogies at funeral services. In fact, I once suggested to him that he put an entry in the telephone directory listing near to his name ‘Eulogist’. John was once in the hospital and was in bed hooked up to the IV. That afternoon there was to be a funeral for a member of one of the families he knew from Bottom Town. John pleaded with the nurses to take off the IV to allow him to do the eulogy. He did and then returned to his hospital bed. What a man!

He was a man of many parts; a dramatist, loved the steel pan and was closely associated with Starlift Steel Orchestra. He was a carnival lover and one of the leading lights of the Bridge Boys. What is perhaps not widely known is that before he left political office, he had drawn up a comprehensive plan for a system of National Honours. He had done all the necessary work and had everything in place. Whatever happened to that is anyone’s guess. As minister of Education he shepherded the establishment of what initially was to be the A Level College. He felt we needed to move on and got the UWI involved in moving the establishment to a Community College. As UWI representative on the ground, I helped to facilitate communication with the University. He had also done advanced work on having a National auditorium.

One of his favourite past times was taking visitors to Dark View Falls and Montreal Gardens as he sought to show them the beauty of SVG. At any function he attended he always made sure that persons had means of getting home even if it meant having to transport them himself. He was totally unselfish. One incident stands out that shows the kind of man John was. He once contacted me about taking him to see a woman who lived at Keartons and had just reached the age of 100 years. If my memory serves me correctly, he was then no longer in Office. I took him to see this woman. I am not sure how he knew her, but he spent over an hour with her. I am not sure what they spoke about, but he totally engaged her, and she seemed to have been really enjoying his company.

That was the Man. People like him come once in a life time. A man of the people if ever there was one. John lived a good life! I am sure that his family would also have done their reflections on Monday.