Elsa May Binns remembered as extraordinary

Robert Pickersgill, minister of land, water, environment and climate change, was among hundreds of persons who turned out to pay their last respects to Elsa May Binns, who was on Tuesday laid to rest at the St Matthew's Anglican Church in downtown Kingston.

Pickersgill, in his tribute, noted that Binns was an extraordinary public servant who had a passion for country.

"Today we celebrate a woman who has given herself unhesitatingly and generously in service to others. She has touched the lives of so many and today we remember Elsa May Binns as a committed, dedicated public servant and a true daughter of the soil," Pickersgill told the gathering.

"It was my distinct pleasure to have worked with her for

several years. We shared a lot not only as a minister and as a civil servant but as analysts of national issues. Anyone who knew Elsa, knew that she had a love for West Indies cricket in addition to her love for her children. She made sure all of them did well," he continued.

He added: "Through intellect, discipline, focus, analysis and public achievement, Elsa demonstrated time again that a better nation can be shaped through hard work, love for country and a passion for working with others."

Elsa's daughter, Senator Sophia Frazer-Binns, used the opportunity to thank her mother for the life lessons she learnt as a child, which she says has contributed to who she is today.

"Mommy was a distinct disciplinarian, she gave so much of herself and that is why she loved unconditionally in addition to training us to practise God's greatest commandment which states that we should 'love thy neighbour as thyself'," she declared.

"We were taught not to look down on or disrespect our elders and it is something that has stayed with us even as adults. She was a fighter and even during the final stages of her illness, she was never one to complain and be ungrateful instead, she persevered," Frazer-Binns said.