Statement of Condolences by the Hon. Philip E. Davis QC, MP on the passing of Dr. Eugene Newry
Statement of Condolences by the Hon. Philip E. Davis QC, MP on the passing of Dr. Eugene Newry
It is with sadness that I learned of the passing of a Bahamian intellectual, historian, political activist, scientist and diplomat, Dr. Eugene Newry.
A native of Acklins, Dr. Newry, a French-trained Neurosurgeon, belonged to that cadre of young Bahamian professionals who were invited by former Prime Minister the late Sir Lynden Pindling, to forego lucrative economic opportunities abroad in favour of returning home to build our fledgling nation. Like the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie, Sir William Allen, T. Baswell Donaldson and many others, Dr. Newry returned to The Bahamas and made his contributions to nation-building in the areas of medicine, public administration and diplomacy.
Dr. Newry served with distinction in building the public health system, and later as an Ambassador to the Republic of Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the United Nations and lastly, the United States of America in Washington DC.
He was an ardent supporter of the progressive movement and played significant strategic roles within the Progressive Liberal Party during and well beyond its iconic march to Majority Rule, then onto National Independence.
A seminal moment in his political activism took place during a protest in 1962 at the entrance of Lyford Cay while Dr. Newry served as a member of the PLP’s National Committee for Positive Action (NCPA). The then President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, was visiting The Bahamas at that time and met with the protestors about their concerns and the US President invited the activist group to join him for lunch.
Dr. Newry was an elder statesman and I always cherished our conversations on any number of issues of national import, be it local or international. I recall this independent thinker and intellectual as always being thoughtful, deliberate, passionate and brutally honest in his analyses and critiques of the subject matter at hand.
Dr. Newry was a democrat, a nationalist and a patriot who always defended the interest of The Bahamas. Those intangible qualities will always be his endearing and enduring legacies and are worthy of defence and protection by those of us who knew and loved him.
As death is not the full stop or the finality, but a mere comma in the sentence of life, I am happy and take comfort in the fact that Dr. Newry will continue to live on in the hearts and minds of many whose lives were touched by his purpose-driven life and work.
On behalf of my wife Ann Marie, Deputy Prime Minister I. Chester Cooper, the government and people of The Bahamas, and on my own behalf, I express heartfelt condolences to his family, especially his widow, Francoise, and his son Eugene Torchon, on the passing of Dr. Eugene Newry.
May he rest in peace.
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23 May 2022
Office of the Prime Minister Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Contact: opmcommunications@bahamas.gov.bs Website: opm.gov.bs