Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes and Lady Foulkes were among the mourners at the funerall for Frank Edgecombe, Nov. 25, 2013, at Mt Carey Union Baptist Church. Also pictured at left is Prime Minister Perry Christie. (BIS Photo/Peter Ramsay)

NASSAU, The Bahamas – Prime Minister Perry Christie eulogised former parliamentarian and educator Frank Leopold Edgecombe as “an honourable and God-fearing man”, during a State Recognised Funeral held Monday, November 25, 2013.

“Frank Edgecombe lived a long and useful life; a life of humility; a life of integrity and honour; a life of respect and decency towards others; a life of service as a teacher; as a parliamentarian, and as a nation builder and community patriarch,” the Prime Minister said.

He delivered the tribute during the service of “Praise and Thanksgiving for the Life and Ministry of Dr Frank Leopold Edgecombe” at the William Johnson Auditorium, formerly the Church of God Auditorium on Joe Farrington Road. Leading the list of dignitaries was Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes.

The service was officiated by Reverend Warren Anderson, assisted by Reverend Patrick Rahming and Reverend Phillip Armbrister.

Frank Edgecombe’s body was interred at the Mt Carey Union Baptist Church Cemetery on Fox Hill Road.

He died on Tuesday, November 12, 2013, at the age of 85. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Clementina; daughter, Norma; sons Julian, Godfrey, Clement, Douglas, Alvin, Patrick and Wendell, and a host of other relatives and friends. The Prime Minister recalled the life and legacy of Frank Edgecombe, stating that there are some “powerful and poignant” lessons to be learnt. Firstly, that power and position never changed Frank Edgecombe.

“When Frank left public life after serving some 15 years in Parliament – five in the Senate and 10 in the House of Assembly – he was still just as humble as he was on the day that he first entered frontline politics,” the Prime Minister said.Secondly, he recognised Frank Edgecombe as a shining example of how one can serve in politics selflessly, with integrity and honour.

Prime Minister Perry Christie offers condolences to Mrs. Clementina Edgecombe, widow of Frank Edgecombe at the gravesite in Mt Carey Union Baptist Church cemetery, Nov. 25, 2013. (BIS Photo/Peter Ramsay)

“There are no two ways about it. He lived by a code built, brick-by-brick, from the precepts of the Good Book. He was a man of deeply held Christian principles. And when it came to applying those principles to his public life, Frank was always on the right side of the line, the side where you will find the righteous.”

The third lesson about Frank Edgecombe’s life the Prime Minister spoke about was that he showed by example that one can serve in politics with respect for all and malice towards none.

“I don’t think I ever heard Frank utter a single hurtful, nasty or malicious word about another human being. That’s the way he was. He knew how to make his point without ever having to defame, without ever having to be offensive, without ever having to be nasty,” the Prime Minister said, And fourthly, he pointed out that Frank Edgecombe’s life holds great meaning for all because it was pre-eminently a life of service – first as a dedicated teacher and as a Member of Parliament for Fox Hill and as Vice President of the Senate.“There is no greater calling that one can have in this life than to be a teacher. A teacher is called to shape and mold young lives. In Frank’s case, he had the assurance of knowing that he shaped many hundreds of lives for the better and that he pointed them in the direction of bright futures.”

The Prime Minister concluded that there were also “great constants” in Frank Edgecombe’s life – those being his love for God, his love for his wife and children, and his love for the Fox Hill Community where he loyally resided until his death.Also paying tribute to Frank Edgecombe was Fred Mitchell, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration and the Member of Parliament for Fox Hill.

“We come to bury Frank Leopold Edgecombe, a son of Fox Hill and a standard bearer for The Bahamas,” Mr. Mitchell said. “He was always there in support of whatever we in the PLP were doing in the area. He was a party man, and he asked for little in return.”

Prime Minister Perry Christie, right, stands at the gravesite of the late Frank Edgecombe in Mt Carey Union Baptist Church Cemetery, Nov. 25, 2013. Also pictured at left Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe and Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell. (BIS Photo/Peter Ramsay)

Mr. Mitchell thanked Frank Edgecombe for his life of service to Fox Hill and to the wider Bahamas.

Frank Leopold Edgecombe, the second son of Daisy and Courtney Edgecombe was born March 3, 1928 in Fox Hill. He grew up on the Eastern Road but spent most of his live on Springfield Road, which was recently renamed Frank Edgecombe Street in his honour.

Mr. Edgecombe was among the first group of 30 teachers who were pioneers of the Bahamas Teachers’ College. He taught for 26 years, during which time he became a founding member of the Primary Principal’s Association. He was honoured in 1990 for long and dedicated service to education in the country.

Rt Hon. Perry G. Christie: Tribute to the late Frank Leopold Edgecombe

Hon. Fred Mitchell: Tribute to the late Frank Leopold Edgecombe

Bahamas State Recognised Funeral for Frank Edgecombe

HE Alma Adams pays tribute to the late Frank Edgecombe