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	*Informing The Uninformed....*

EULOGY

HILARY HANIF "AMISS" CORNELIUS

REV. CECIL CORNELIUS

(Brother of the deceased)

For the past two weeks I have wrestled within myself concerning the death of my brother. He was still a young man, only 47 years old. He had so much left to offer. His ideas were many and he would often share them with me. So when he died on January 25,2006, I found myself questioning God. It was at this point that God reminded me of an accident that we encountered in 1973.

It was on a Sunday afternoon in 1973 when three of my brothers, Everton, Hilary, Vincent jr. and I took my Dad’s Volkswagen van for a drive. There should have been a fourth brother (Gary) with us but we sent him back. On our way we picked up three friends; Shines, Keith and Wazzi. Our drive took us in the Pares Village area around an area called Blackout. We stopped for a while and loaded up the van with sugar cane, which was grown all over the island at that time.

On our way home I could see the cane fields swaying in the breeze as they rolled across the landscape. Everton was at the wheel while Keith and Shines sat next to him in the front seat. Vincent junior was seated in the middle of the van amongst the sugar cane. Hilary, Wazzi and I sat at the back with our legs dangling from the opening where the rear window was once hinged. Traveling at about seventy miles an hour, Everton lost control of the van as we went around a curve. The van swerved and a rear wheel slammed into a concrete rail at the side of the narrow road. At this time Hilary who was sitting next to me leapt from the van and appeared to have landed in the cane field. The impact caused the van to tumble over onto the side, the top, the other side and finally landing on the four wheels. As the dust settled, one by one, we crawled out of the mangled wreckage. Hilary was the only one that could not be accounted for. At this time the driver who was behind us, who saw everything, pulled up and said, “ There is one in the cane field and I am sure he’s dead”. As we turned to the cane field fearing the worst, we heard the rustling of the leaves then Hilary appeared. There was not even a scratch on his body.

I walked away from the accident that day wondering why God spared our lives. The van was too badly damage to be used again. Knowing how severely the van was damaged, I am surprised that we walked away from the accident alive. Hilary lived 33 years after the accident. I‘ll now share with you about Hilary as a family man, a talented man and finally a spiritual man.

Hilary as a Family Man:

Hilary grew up in a close knitted family with loving parents, five brothers and four sisters. His respect for our parents was evident in many ways. He credited them for his successes in life. Hilary was never too busy to run errands for our parents or just to stop by and spend some time with them. As Dad’s personal barber, Hilary would make sure that his hair and nails were always well cut. Hilary was known for going the extra mile to make our parents happy. He was the baby of the first four children and the big brother of the last six. His dual roles in the family structure made him a very unique individual. On one hand he had to keep up with his older siblings while providing leadership for the younger ones. We had different personalities, which resulted in different opinions and approaches to life.

Hilary had a typical melancholy personality. He was a quiet person who took great pride in the way he dressed. I can recall that he won many awards in school for neatness. You could tell what styles were popular by looking at Hilary. My brother was one who looked for new ways to address problems. He had the ability to come up with innovative ideas and organized them in a way to benefit the wider community especially in sports.

Apart from his family of origin, Hilary was a husband for 25 years. I will always remember when the tall elegant girl from the Emerald Isle walked into his life. It was love at first sight. A few years later Hilary and Bernadine were joined in holy matrimony on the Monsserrat. There were many difficult moments that threatened the survival of their marriage, but they held on to their relationship until the very end. Bernadine, you have proven that you are a woman of strength and character. You stepped up to the plate when you had to. You did not cut and run, but you remained faithful. When Hilary needed a wife, you were there. When he needed a mother for his children, you were there. When he needed support in his endeavors, you were there. When he was sick, you were there. When the doctors said that there was nothing else that they could do, you were there. On Wednesday January 25,2006 at 1:08 pm when Hilary drew his last breath, you were still there. It is because you were there through thick and thin that I honor you today. God bless you!

Hilary adored his five children and four grandchildren whom he wanted to become productive members of the community. A good education was some thing he wanted them to achieve. He spent many hours with his sons playing cricket and football. It was his desire to see them excel in the games that meant so much to him. Even during his illness he would often play football with Ajayi. I was deeply touched when Hilary named his second son Ajayi because that was my nickname. It was with great pride that he walked his two daughters (Nadine and Karen) down the isle and gave them in marriage. Hilary is no longer with us but he is expecting his children to continue on the path that he has paved for them.

Hilary As A Multi-talented Man:

There are some people who are able to do one or even few things well. Hilary had the unique ability to do many things well. He was a Graduate of Humber College in Toronto Canada where he studied Electronic Engineering. His love for his country led him to return to Antigua to use his skills at A.P.U.A. in the telephone Department. He attended many seminars and training workshops abroad for the department. He worked with A.P.U.A. from 1985 until he took an early retirement three years ago.

Hilary was also very skilled in the field of construction. He played an active role in V.E.C. Construction, a family runned business, for over thirty years. Electrical wiring, carpentry, tile laying, painting and Drafting are some of the skills that Hilary acquired in the Construction field. Shortly before he was married he took the time to construct his first bed which he slept in for many years.

Hilary was blessed with great athletic ability. He excelled in cricket and football. He was a fine all-round cricketer who represented Mahico Stars Cricket Club for over thirty years in Parrish League. He led his team to many victories over the years while topping the batting and bowling averages on numerous occasions. During the twilight years of his cricket career, Hilary’s aim was to develop young cricketers. One of his goals was to develop a cricket academy where young players could develop their skills.

Hilary and I have had numerous conversations about the development of West Indies Cricket. He strongly believed that the West Indies would once again return to their former glory in International Cricket.

In football, Hilary played well anywhere on the forward line and midfield. He was an instrumental part of the victorious national Antigua football team who won the O.E.C.S. Championship in 1977. He also played several years for the National Super Stars in the Premier division during the 1970’s.

My most memorable experience in Football was playing with Hilary for Fire Hall in the 1978 Rural East Community League. The league was comprised of four other teams namely, Sutherlands, Johnson, Wireless and Trench Town. According to the guidelines of league the two teams with highest number of points after two rounds would progress to the finals. Fire Hall and Sutherlands made it to the finals. They did so by capitalizing on their strengths. Fire Hall depended on the skill and experience of Hilary. Without him there was no way that we would have made it. He muscled his way through all of our opponents and landed us in the finals. Sutherlands on the other hand was a well-polished machine. Their teamwork and technique proved that they were the team to beat.

It was on a Sunday Morning about 11am when the match between to two rivals got on the way at the Clare Hall School Grounds. Both teams were expected to depend on their strengths that got them to the finals. It was obvious from the beginning that the tension was very high. Sutherlands controlled the ball for most of the first ten minutes of the game. Then, the unthinkable happened. Hilary had an altercation with another player and as result he was sent of the field by referee Patrick Henry. The Sutherland’s team was jubilant but it was a nightmare for Fire Hall. Our hearts sank within us as Hilary made his way off the field. The hope of the championship was just plucked from our grasp.

The game continued without Hilary, but the Fire Hall team played without a sense of purpose or direction. Looking on from the sideline, Hilary realized that he had to do something to help his team. He took off his shirt and started to rally his team. “ You can beat them!”, he shouted. He told us to play hard, hold our positions and do not be intimidated. Little by little our confidence came back. It felt like Hilary was on the field again. About five minutes before halftime I found myself unmarked with the ball just outside the penalty box. I quickly positioned myself to take a shot with my left foot. I cranked a shot with all the power that could muster. The ball floated in the air and appeared to be going over the cross bar when it suddenly dipped. The Goalkeeper tried desperately to tip the ball over the cross bar but it eluded him and landed behind the goal line. Hilary jumped with great excitement waving his shirt and screamed, “ I told you that you can beat them!” It was one goal to zero in favor of Fire hall at the half. About 15 minutes into the second-half Fire Hall struck goal for the second time in the game. Sutherlands scored ten minutes later but Fire Hall held on for a 2-1 victory.

Hilary proved to us that it was possible for us to win without his presence on the play field. He taught us not to give up in difficult times but to reach deep within ourselves and bring out the best. Today, I say to Hilary’s immediate family and all here; he is no longer on the field of life but he will be on the sideline to cheer us on through life.

Hilary As A Spiritual Man:

I have told you wonderful things about Hilary’s talents and accomplishments. There is no doubt that he has left us with many wonderful memories that we will treasure for years to come. But all of the things that I have said so far about Hilary are not enough to secure him a place in Heaven. Did Hilary prepare him to meet God before departing life on earth? Is there any evidence that he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior? These are critical questions that all of us must answer some day.

To answer questions about Hilary’s preparation for life after death, I must go back to my spiritual transformation in February of 1980. It was at the Christian Union Church on the Wireless Road where after hearing the preaching of the gospel that I knelt at the altar and committed my life to Jesus. On that night Hilary was also at the altar asking Christ to come into his life. Both of us were in Converts Class at the Church for several weeks before we were baptized at Fort James by Pastor Johannas Leatham.

Hilary was by no means a perfect person. He recognized that he should have been more faithful to his wife and children. I believe if he were hear today that he would strongly advise us to be faithful to our marital vows. In January of 2005 I sat down with Hilary at his home in Toronto Canada in the presence of his wife and my sister Jackie. He commended us for being there during his most difficult moments in life. He went on to state that he has rededicated his life to Christ and his family.

On January 6, 2006 I called Hilary from my home in Texas. I did not realize that it would have been our last conversation with each other. We talked for about an hour about several issues. Our conversation on that day touched on family, cricket and personal goals. As our conversation drew to a close he started talking with me about the importance of obeying God’s word. He told me that we must put God first if we want him to bless us. I then prayed for him and when I was finished he said, “thank you’.

I am at peace today because I know that Hilary is in a better place. He no longer has to suffer. God has seen it fit to take my brother home. Although we will never see him in this life again, yet fond memories of him will live on in our hearts. So my beloved brother thanks for the good times. Good Night! Good Night! I’ll see you in the morning.