Grenada has approximately 110,000 residents, so it’s easy to feel like you know almost everyone.  100,000 sounds like a large number, but when you consider a lot of cities in the US have that many people (or more), it puts things into perspective.

The idea of 6 degrees of separation says that all people are six, or fewer, social connections away from each other.  I think it’s probably 3 degrees of separation here.  It’s a small country, people live in a concentrated area (over 80% of the island is still undeveloped land), and many people are related.

It’s fun to feel so embedded in the community, but it also means that events feel personal.  When someone dies, you might know the person, their family, or at least their close friends.

Grenada has had the shock of four prominent deaths in the past month.

Denis Noel

Denis Noel was an island icon.  Denis studied agriculture in college and worked in the Ministry of Agriculture for 22 years.  He also held a variety of government positions, including Minister of Foreign Affairs, Junior Minister of Agriculture, and Junior Minister of Communications and Works.  He might be best known for managing his family’s famous estate, Balthazar, where he developed a pain relief product called NUT-MED, which harnessed the therapeutic powers of nutmeg into a spray and crème.

Located in Grenada’s rainforest, Balthazar Estate is Grenada’s largest commercial grower of cut flowers. In addition to the many varieties of Gingers and Heliconia’s traditionally grown here, he and his staff hybridized exciting new varieties.  Denis was part of the Grenadian team that exhibits at the famed Chelsea Garden Show in London each May.  He was instrumental in providing the bulk of the magnificent flowers, year after year, that helped Grenada win 15 Gold Medals in 21 years of competition.

Michael and I had the privilege to meet Denis and receive a private tour with him just three weeks before his death. In the 2 hours we spent together, walking his fields of flowers, our biggest impression was this was a man of grace and humility.  He clearly loved his ancestral estate. I had phoned him saying that I was writing about Grenada’s participation in Chelsea and asked if we could have a tour.  He graciously invited us to come the next day. I didn’t find out until after we parted that he was retired and no longer did tours.  I’m humbled and grateful that I was able to meet this gentle man and gentleman.

Andre Cherman

Andre Cherman was a shareholder, Chairman of the Board, and served as Managing Director of Coyaba Beach Resort for the 32 years it’s been in business. Coyaba is a top-rated hotel located right on Grenada’s magnificent Grand Anse Beach.

Through his guidance, this family-owned beach resort established itself as a favorite for both guests and staff. He was also a leader in community outreach, supporting charities, aiding local schools, and sponsoring the New Dimension steel band.

I did not know him personally, but he was a leader in the hotelier industry and the community.

Accolades and condolences have been pouring in from all over the world, citing his warmth, commitment, and graciousness. His family will continue his legacy, but he will be deeply missed.

I’m sorry that I never had the opportunity to meet him.

Lydia Whiteman

Our good friend, Lydia Whiteman, recently passed away from cancer.  Michael and I met Lydia and her husband, Joslyn, somewhere around 1990 when we were looking for property to purchase in the parish of St. David’s.  Joslyn was the government Minister responsible for St. David’s. Together, as a couple, they continuously traveled throughout the parish to meet with families, listen to their concerns and worked tirelessly to help wherever they could – both professionally and personally.

I was struck that no matter where we went, everyone would come and greet Lydia and Joslyn. In return, Lydia and Joslyn would ask after the person’s children, parents, and neighbors.  The interactions weren’t casual. It wasn’t ‘How is your mom’, but ‘How is Margaret’s arthritis doing this week?  Did the NUT-MED help?  Is there anything else we can do?’  ‘How is your son’s reading going?  I heard from his teacher that he was making good progress.’ ‘Were you able to get your roof repaired?’ They knew every person, understood their struggles, and clearly cared about them.

Lydia was always cooking big pots of food to distribute to whatever community they were visiting. Oil down, Goat Curry, Rice & Peas, etc. Has your government representative (or their spouse!) ever done anything like this for you?

My strongest memory of Lydia is that she always wore her pearl necklace.  It didn’t matter if she dressed up for a fancy event or she dressed casually while walking the streets of one of the villages visiting with families.  This memory, more than anything else, epitomized her strength, grace, and compassion.  My heart is heavy from her death.

Sir Royston Hopkin

Sir Royston Hopkin passed away due to complications from a medical procedure he had a few weeks back.  Sir Royston was the owner and face of Spice Island Beach Resort, one of the leading hotels in the world. He was a recognized champion of the Grenadian people, and he supported a wide variety of individuals, charities, and provided scholarships for needy children.

Sir Royston enjoyed honors and awards from all over the world. Royston became a “Sir” in 2004 when Queen Elizabeth knighted him for his outstanding contributions to the tourism industry in Grenada and the Caribbean. He received three Lifetime Achievement Awards – from the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, and the Caribbean Hotel and Resort Investment Summit in Miami. Most of us will never receive even one Lifetime Achievement Award.

Under his leadership, the resort has also consistently won a tremendous number of awards. These include the AAA five Diamond Award, (Spice Island is the only Caribbean owned 5-star hotel to make the cut), and, for the 7^th year, the Six Star Diamond Award by the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences. In 2019, the resort ranked fourth out of 25 luxury Caribbean hotels in the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards.  US News & World Report recognized Spice Island as one of the “Best All-Inclusive Resorts in the Caribbean”.

Royston was an ambassador for ‘Spice’ as well as Grenada. He was always walking the resort, talking to staff and visitors to be sure the highest quality of service was delivered.  He was always gracious and often invited guests to his home for cocktails.

I was continually impressed with the quality of my interactions with his staff.  They were always friendly, warm, and highly professional.  One time a friend and I stopped by the beach bar for a drink. I had my dog with me, and he was sitting next to me.  A server came over, welcomed us warmly, and complimented my pooch. Then, ever so gently, she asked if we would mind moving to another table that had a one-foot high divider separating the bar from the beach.  She explained that our dog shouldn’t be in the bar area. However, if we sat there with him on the other side of the divider, he would still see us, feel like he was with us, I could easily touch him, and there would be no intrusion for the other guests.  She so skillfully and professionally managed the situation that I remember it years later as unparalleled service.  I know this high level of service emanated from Sir Royston’s vision of a stellar experience.

I had to be told three times that Sir Royston passed away. I was so shocked.  His death is an enormous loss to his family and friends, staff and guests, Grenada and the larger Caribbean.

Life goes on. But for many Grenadians and me, we have lost several prominent individuals that we genuinely cared about, and we are grieving. Separately and together, they demonstrated the warmth, caring, and integrity of the Grenadian people. They were role models, leaders in their fields, and friends to all. Rest in peace, my friends.