Sir Ellis Emmanuel Innocent Clarke was our patron for the last eighteen (18) years. During that time Sir Ellis Clarke was, in every sense of the word, our patron, lovingly providing a light to guide, wisdom to protect and the support that helped us grow.
He was our guiding light
Sir Ellis was a gentleman whose approach to life was one that was emulated by Families In Action. We remember him as ever humble and always gentle, allowing nothing to disturb his serene disposition. He was a man of character who lived by high moral standards believing that we should be a nation of virtuous men and women. His faith in God and his spirituality, – deeply rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition, -were the foundation of his life and the source of his strength and courage, which he certainly needed in his distinguished prominent position as the first President of an emerging democracy. He allowed God to take charge of his life and guide him when decisions of great magnitude concerning the future of the new Nation were required of him. As an NGO, we have faced challenges, threats to our very being and moments of feeling lost over the years, yet we have always been able to seek comfort in Sir Ellis’ positive words, example of integrity, and constant willingness to guide us.
He was our wise protector
Like an involved father, Sir Ellis attended many of our board meetings and made himself available after our calls for advice. We’ve had detractors of our cause from time to time, aiming to destroy the seed of hope from which the organisation began. Yet, with his great wit, his swift and brilliant mind, and the knowledge of law and our constitution, which he was able to retrieve from the library of his mind at a moment’s notice, Sir Ellis often steered us to the shelter of safety.
He was our supporter
Sir Ellis was a nation builder who understood the importance of our role as an NGO in getting that task done. He emphasised love of country, unity and collaboration and saw the family as the fertile soil for the growth of such features. Families In Action is focused on the promotion of healthy family life and we benefited from Sir Ellis’s support and promotion of our hard work, selflessness and sacrifice as we encourage the youth of our nation. He was there to launch many of our initiatives and spoke of us as a proud father about his adoring child.
In spite of human failings, he certainly tried to live according to the watchwords of our Nation – Discipline, Production & Tolerance. He showed by his example, that it was possible to live “in the world”’ but not be “of the world”.
Indeed, he truly lived up to his name – Emmanuel – which means “God is with us’. It may be prophetic that he was born and died at such a spectacular season of the year, when the whole world is focused on the all-embracing virtues of love, joy, sharing, generosity, peace and making the world “a better place”. Our Nation needs more people with these virtues and we must inculcate them in our children if we want to see an improvement in our country and build one of which we can all be proud.
Farewell and Thank You Sir Ellis. You are gone and will never be forgotten.
From the Board, Management and Staff of Families In Action.