The waning days of July 2024 delivered sad news at home and abroad with the passing of two iconic sons of Saint Lucia: Dr. Joseph Edsel Edmunds OBE, ODM, BSc, MSc, Ph.D.; and Mr. David Samuels, SLMM. I knew them well enough to have been motivated to write this tribute in their honour.
Dr. Edmunds
Dr. Edmunds was born in Barbados to Saint Lucian parents. He received his secondary school education at the venerable, St. Mary’s College, aptly described by Sir Calixte George in his Magnum opus, as the “Caribbean’s Nobel Laureate School.” It was there that his love of science, notably biology and zoology, was made manifest. He later moved to the University of Puerto Rico where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agronomy, and then to Cornell University where he completed a Master of Science Degree in Plant Pathology (1963) and a Ph.D. in Nematology in 1965.
It was at the St. Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI), that Dr. Edmunds burnished his credentials as a research scientist, as he probed the pathology of various diseases that were afflicting citrus plants. His expertise in nematology was heavily utilized across Africa, Latin America and the Pacific. Such was the breadth and depth of his contributions to agricultural science, that a hitherto unknown nematode was named “Longidorus edmundsi” in his honour.
We first met in the early 1980s, when he served as Director of Research and Development at the Windward Island Banana Growers Association’s (WINBAN) Research Centre at Roseau, Saint Lucia. As a Compliance Officer with the National Provident Fund (NPF), I was at the Centre to brief its management on the imminent transition of the NPF to the NIS. Despite the gap in our ages, Dr. Edmunds and I bonded instantly. I appreciated his humility and enjoyed his infectious sense of humour.
Our next interaction would occur nearly 15 years later, in vastly different circumstances. Dr. Edmunds had transitioned from science to diplomacy, to become Saint Lucia’s Ambassador to the United States, and Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), and I had joined the Ministry of Planning as its Permanent Secretary. By the time we reconnected in Washington D.C in the winter of 1995, Dr. Edmunds had already built an unshakable reputation among his peers as a consummate and effective diplomat. His tenure coincided with a challenging time in global affairs with raging wars involving Russia and Afghanistan and Iran and Iraq, respectively. Authoritarianism was still a feature in some Latin American countries, and economic stagnation was causing severe social impacts across the region. The Caribbean was struggling to address the implications and complications associated with the US’s invasion of Grenada, and the Dole-Chiquita-USA assault on the EU’s market regime for Windward Islands bananas. As Saint Lucia and the hemisphere searched for diplomatic solutions to these crises, Dr. Edmunds would assert himself as a voice of reason, and compromise. Drawing on his background as a scientist, he encouraged his colleagues to always search for the root causes of various challenges, and to offer practical solutions.
I had first-hand evidence of Dr. Edmunds’s well-honed, diplomatic skills in resolving an incident involving me, which occurred during my participation in an OAS meeting in Washington D.C in the Fall of 1995. I had been asked by the Chairman of the Council for Development to lead a small Working Group comprising myself and 3 representatives from Central, South and North America. The Group was assigned an interpreter, a rapporteur and a room to conduct its work. At the end of our deliberations, I confidently shared the Group’s report at the next plenary session of the Council. However, I was stunned when the other members of the Group objected to the very draft report, they had cleared. I felt I had no choice but to take no further part in the meeting and I returned to my hotel. By the time I got there, Dr. Edmunds was waiting. He said he had received several calls about the incident and that he had made it clear to all and sundry that Saint Lucia would take no further part in the meeting, until the offending countries apologized, which they ultimately did. His unflinching support meant a lot to me. Even though I thought I had done the right thing, it was deeply reassuring to know that Dr. Edmunds felt as aggrieved as I did and had my back.
So effective and impressive was Dr. Edmunds as Ambassador that he was embraced by his peers, as Dean of the Caribbean’s Diplomatic Corps and Vice Dean of the global Diplomatic Corps.
Dr. Edmunds was always warm, humorous, and engaging in his official and social interactions. He never failed to put himself at the disposal of Saint Lucians visiting Washington D.C. He would often invite me to lunch or dinner, either in restaurants in the city, or at his home. Every visitor to his official, and later his private residence in Rockville, Maryland was given a tour of his modest, art studio with his eclectic collection of “home grown” art. He regarded Art, as “one of the few freedoms left to man,” noting further that “…in that freedom, man’s creativity transcends the reality of time, space and place.” One of his favourite paintings that impressed me was his interpretation of Dante’s Inferno, which reflected his creative use of ice and acrylics. Collections of his works are displayed in various private and public institutions around the world. Dr. Edmunds was also a prodigious writer and poet. His impressive library contained two of his own offerings: “Many Horizons,” a collection of 99 poems; and “Triangle of Success” which seeks to empower young people in the Caribbean to maximize their potential and to attain their dreams.
Dr. Edmunds was the first person to introduce me to Transcendental Meditation (TM), which he practiced daily, and which undoubtedly accounted for his even-temperedness and his bright outlook on life. Consistent with his stature as a Founding Member of the Saint Lucian National Trust, he would frequently share with me articles and messages on environment and development issues. Long after demitting office as Ambassador, he would share with me his compelling ideas for addressing various emerging issues and challenges confronting Saint Lucia, which I would promptly transmit to the relevant Government authorities. I regarded this practice as evidence that Dr. Edmunds had a lot more to offer Saint Lucia and the Caribbean and I continue to feel sad that his many offers of his services went unanswered.
It was an honour and privilege to be present when Dr. Edmunds’s son, Anton, was installed as Saint Lucia’s Permanent Representative to the OAS, in 2016. This was a historic moment in the annals of Saint Lucia’s diplomacy, as it was the first time that a father and son would have served as US Ambassadors.
Dr. Edmunds is survived by his wife, Lucy, and his sons Anton and Sebastian, to whom I extend my heartfelt condolences.
David Samuels
I had heard of Dave long before I met him. I knew of him as the grandson of J. P Martial who was married to my Aunt, Muriel. Despite this association, I do not recall interacting with him in the Martial abode. I knew of him as the promoter and Master of Ceremonies of the highly popular, Saint Lucia Talent on Parade (STOP). These shows, which were often held in schools in the Castries basin, gave priceless exposure to talented singers, like Johnny Romiel, T.G Fury, and Cave Compton as well as groups like, “The Beatniks” and bands, like the N’Dees. And I knew of him as the co-host of the Saturday night radio show, “D.J Date” alongside Jeff Fedée, sadly deceased. This show was eagerly anticipated in homes across the island, as it brought great joy to many Saint Lucians, especially my sisters Jean and Veronica. On Saturday nights, our drawing room would be cleared of furniture so that uninhibited dancing could take place.
Dave and I would meet for the first time in 1983, at the start of my career as a sports journalist. I had just been elected as Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the National Football Union (NFU), in which role, I filed regular reports on the activities of the NFU on local radio and wrote a football column in the Voice of Saint Lucia, newspaper. At that time, Dave ran a PR firm whose clientele included Windward and Leeward Brewery Limited (WINLEBREW), which was a primary sponsor of several NFU competitions. Dave contracted me to produce and present a 15- minute, sports magazine show on Radio Saint Lucia, called “The Sporting Stag” aligned with Stag Beer, which was produced by WINLEBREW. Inspired by the success of this programme, he would ask me to produce a longer programme called “Mackeson Sports.” Upon leaving Saint Lucia to pursue studies in Mass Communications at the UWI In 1985, I recommended that the programme be passed to Ryan O’Brien. The practical experience I gained from producing the programmes would serve me in good stead in my studies, and for that I owe Dave a debt of gratitude.
Dave was a trailblazer in the media. His company, Dave Samuels Production (DSP) was the first of its type to offer a full suite of marketing and promotion services using a multimedia platform. The technical quality of DSP’s products was consistently of a superior quality to that of other companies, mainly because of Dave’s unceasing efforts to build and sustain a culture of perfection at DSP. His commitment to perfection was also evident in his programmes: “Coffee Break With David Samuels” and latterly, “The Chairman” both of which featured enlightening and entertaining interviews with prominent, national figures. His interview with Governor-General Emerita, Dame Pearlette Louisy will be fondly remembered, not only for its profound content, but also for the fact that it ended with a sublime dance between the host and his guest.
I last saw Dave on 29th June 2023, at the launch of the Saint Lucia Media Honours Society (MHS). At this event, commemorating 70 years of broadcasting in Saint Lucia, Dave was among several pioneers, trailblazers and marathoners who were recognized for long service, excellence, and innovation in Media. About a decade earlier, he had received the Saint Lucia Medal of Merit (Gold) for his contribution to Media. Still, he regarded the recognition accorded him by his peers at the MHS event as no less meaningful. Dave appeared in good health at that event, and so I was surprised to learn from his Uncle and my cousin, Darnell Martial, that his health had declined to the point that he was admitted to hospital.
Saint Lucia has lost two irreplaceable icons in Dr. Edsel Edmunds, and David Samuels. I pray that their souls, and the souls of all faithfully-departed, sons and daughters of Saint Lucia will rest in phantasmal peace.