Dominica News Online has been reliably informed that the late fifth president of Dominica, Vernon Shaw, will be laid to rest on December 14 with funeral services to be held at the Mount Wallis Methodist Church in Portsmouth, as per his wishes.
A source with close knowledge of the funeral arrangements said public viewing of the late president will begin at 12:00 pm, with funeral services starting at 3:00 pm.
“The Methodist community believes that his wish to be buried in Portsmouth was founded on the state of the chapel reconstruction after the earthquake of 2004 which destroyed the old structure,” the source told DNO.
The source further stated that government and protocol officers visted the church on Friday last week to ensure the funeral is possible.
“Government is assisting financially to prepare the chapel for the funeral,” the source said.
The funeral is expected to be officiated by members of the Methodist clergy and with vocals from the Bethesda Methodist Church Choir.
The late president will be interred at the Portsmouth Methodist Cemetery in a family plot of his surviving wife, according to the source.
Shaw was a local preacher of the Methodist church and passed away on December 2 at the Princess Margaret Hospital.
He was sworn in as the fifth President of the Commonwealth of Dominica on October 2, 1998 and left office on October 1, 2003.
At the time of his death, he was 83 years old.
My condolences to my friend and Grammar School classmate Bobby on the passing of your dad. May God’s peace and love be with you and the rest of the family during this difficult time
To the Family of the Late and former President Mr.Vernon.L.Shaw I want to extend my deepest condolencies on my behalf and that of the Joseph Family.Personally Mr.Shaw and myself always had a very good rapour whenever we would meet together at the Roseau Market where he had lots of friends,and we always exchanged words.Mr Shaw and my deceased wife Octavia also were very good friends she always told me that he used to speak highly of our deceased Father Sylvester especially when they worked together at the Prime Minister’s Office in the period 1975to 1980.So I say to you the Shaw family especially my friend Bobby in Boston our deepest Sympathy to you all .I guess he welcomed with his former coleagesMr.Seginoret,Sylvester Joseph,at heaven’s gates
I shall be there to pay my respects. I heard there is a fantastic young organist there, i hope he is playing. this would be a great way of showing that though great men die, great men are born and can carry on the mantle of greatness. Rest In Peace President Shaw