“Not a drum was heard, not a funeral note as his corpse to the rampart we hurried.” This stanza from the poem “The burial of Sir John Moore” as recorded by Charles Wolfe (1791-1823), reminded the Sentinel of the last days of  Arnold Cruickshank Esq. CBE, as he laid on his rustic bed almost forgotten.

Arnold Cruickshank was born in St. Pauls St. George on Sept. 20, 1929. He attended the Welsey Hall primary school, then the Grenada Boys Secondary School (GBSS) under Headmasters G.C Grant Esq MA from Trinidad and Dr. Wilfred Rankin of Guyana. He passed away on Saturday Nov. 11, 2017at the General Hospital.

Arnold’s first job after graduating from GBSS was at the then Dept. of  Agriculture as a part-time officer in the Cocoa Industry Improvement Scheme, funded by the British Government, where he obtained a scholarship and graduated with a Diploma from the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture in Trinidad. He then further his education by attending Cornell University in the USA and obtained an M.Sc Agriculture, majoring in Agronomy.

The late Arnold M. Cruickshank CBE

Arnold’s career included service at the local, regional and international levels – here in Grenada at the Ministry of Agriculture, at the Caribbean Development Bank in Barbados and at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Rome, Italy.

In July 1991, Arnold Cruickshank was awarded the Insigna of Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by Her Majesty, the Queen for “Services to Agriculture.”

In 1983/84 after the demise of the 1979-83 revolution, Arnold Cruickshank  served as a member of the Interim Council of Grenada with responsibility for Agriculture, paving the way under the late Sir Nicholas Brathwaite for the restoration of democracy in 1984. Arnold also served as Chairman of the Grenada Development Bank in the late 1900’s.

Arnold’s association with the Willie Redhead Foundation dates back to 1998 as an ordinary member. Between the years 2000 – 2012 he served as a member of the Board of Directors and in 2012 he became an Honorary Member. At the 5th Patrimonial Award Ceremony in 2014 Arnold was awarded the Foundation’s Scroll of Honor for his services as a statesman, nation builder, agricultural development expert and a life member of the Foundation for his continued interest in the issues related to the conservation and protection of the build heritage of Grenada.

“Like stone pillars rooted in buttressing a culture of creative resistance, under the seasoning of time, they eventually totter and take the fall.” Arnold – according to many testimonies was a man of character, kindness and courage. He was a gentle soul and touched the lives of many.

The Willie Redhead Foundation sends sincere condolences to his family, close friends and admirers on the passing of Arnold, and recall that  “Great minds are like meteors, they glitter and are consumed to enlighten the world.” May his soul rest in everlasting peace.

A Willie Redhead Foundation Presentation                                                                                     November 17, 2017