Flags flew at half-mast in Anguilla this week as a mark of respect for the passing of Jeremiah Gumbs, one of the most influential and dedicated patriots to grace his native island; and on Thursday he was laid to rest at the Sandy Ground Cemetery but the memory of him will live on for many years to come.

Tributes from throughout the world and from all walks of life in Anguilla poured in to his family as news of the passing of the 91-year-old proud son of the island spread around.

The Government of Chief Minister Osbourne Fleming issued a statement on Tuesday saying Mr. Gumbs’ passing was “a severe loss to Anguilla.” He was described as “an Anguillian legend and patriarch.”

Sign for the Jeremiah Gumbs Highway in Anguilla

The statement continued: “He was a true patriot, freedom fighter and humanitarian. His contribution to Anguilla’s social, political and economic development is immeasurable. His legacy should motivate all Anguillians to commit themselves to the cause of community development and nation-building. The Government of Anguilla shares the grief of his immediate family and friends and extends deepest condolences to all who moan his loss.”

It was ordered for all flags in Anguilla to be flown at half-mast on Thursday the day of the funeral. Further, it was arranged for the funeral cortege to be led by the Royal Anguilla Police Force and for members of the Force to bear the casket of the fallen hero.

Following is the Obituary:

Jeremiah Gumbs (1913-2004)

Jeremiah Gumbs, humanitarian and bold champion of self-determination, died peacefully in Anguilla, British West Indies, on April 8, 2004. In addition to being the key spokesperson and one of the stalwarts of the cause of self-determination for the people of Anguilla, he was also known as one of its key benefactors and most successful entrepreneurs.

Jeremiah Gumbs, the youngest child of Augusta Carty and Samuel Anderson Gumbs, was born in The Valley, Anguilla, on February 18, 1913. Although born in poverty, he was undaunted in his commitment to a better quality of life for his island, his family, his relatives, himself and every community in which he lived. During the course of his youth, he worked in the cane fields of the Dominican Republic, was a pupil teacher and worked in the oil refineries of Aruba and Curacao, before he returned to Anguilla where he was a master fisherman, dentist and tailor.

At age 25, he moved to Brooklyn, New York, intending to study dentistry, but was drafted into the United States Army. After leaving the Army he studied oil burner mechanics, married Lydia Gibbs and ultimately established Gumbs Fuels in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He and his wife had four children that they raised in Edison, NJ, where he was a founding member of the Board of Trustees of The John F. Kennedy Hospital which, at one time, was the largest medical center in the State of New Jersey.

In keeping with his uncompromising commitment to the welfare of his homeland, he was a founder of The Anguilla Improvement Association that raised money to fund hurricane relief, a hospital and, most importantly, to Jeremiah Gumbs, a library and secondary education in Anguilla.

In 1959, with the strong encouragement from his wife Lydia, Jeremiah Gumbs began building Anguilla’s first beach resort, Rendezvous Bay Hotel. Later, the hotel became a center for revolutionary organizing and remained a place where local people came to theorize, organize and seek Jeremiah Gumbs’ wisdom. The hotel also had the first tennis court on the island, which he always made available for young Anguillans to learn to play. In recognition of this, the island’s tennis academy will be named in his honor.

In 1967, Jeremiah Gumbs represented Anguilla before the United Nations when the island declared itself independent of the associated state of St. Kitts-Nevis. He made well over 20 trips between the United States and Anguilla during the 2-year freedom movement. His relentless stand for the self-determination of the people of Anguilla and his selfless and tireless efforts inspired all Anguillians and served as the backbone of the Revolution.

Throughout his life, Jeremiah Gumbs continued to support efforts to improve the state of education in Anguilla, to support individual Anguillians seeking training abroad, and to personally advise those who came from around the world to visit him. One of his major methods of teaching throughout his life was his recitation of the store of poetry and quotations in his remarkably extensive memory. His passion for enriching and inspiring all who came to him in this fashion has been memorialized in a parable written about him called The Seven Seeds, a cherished gift from his son, Clyde, as well as a film about his life created by his granddaughter, Alexis.

Jeremiah Gumbs is survived by his children: Alan, Una, Clyde and Duane; his daughters-in–law: Carol, Lisa and Pauline; his grandchildren, Justin, Alexis, Victoria, Ariana, Jared, Branden and Seneca and his beloved nieces, nephews and cousins around the world.

The late Jermiah Gumbs

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