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His finest quality was his patience: an inherent ability to listen, to absorb and to offer a point of view based on quiet, measured wisdom legend BEGINNING OF WALK June 08, 1935 CALLED of his time TO SERVICE JONATHAN AUGUSTUS SYLVESTER October 27, 2020 2 Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure, you are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure. “Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.” JONATHAN AUGUSTUS SYLVESTER 3 1935 JUNE 8th Dutiful, humble, decent, reliable, honourable, dignified, respectful: these are but some of the qualities that Jonathon Au- gustus Sylvester practised every JONATHON AUGUSTUS SYLVESTER day during his began his journey on June 8th, 1935 and journey on this earth. He was ended on October 27th, 2020. He was the son a God-fearing of the late Elizabeth Sylvester and James Gil- man, a family man, a serious bert. He came from a large and happy family of and disciplined three brothers and eight sisters. man, but he could never resist the opportunity to have a laugh with friends and loved ones, and a special dance with his beloved Hermina. 4 You may be gone from my sight, but you are never gone from my heart, Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, Love leaves a memory no one can steal. JONATHAN AUGUSTUS SYLVESTER 5 Becoming a man means doing the right thing even though it may be hard or difficult. Boys do what is easiest. A man does what is right, whether easy or not. Pre-Service CALL TO ORDER Maruita Kupoluyi SELECTION Apostolic Faith Church Choir, Road Town TRIBUTE Drucilla Sylvester-Nicholas TRIBUTE IN POEM Jeremiah Frett TRIBUTE IN POEM Ketlene Bowman-Penn TRIBUTE IN POEM Andrew St. Hillare MUSICAL TRIBUTE Eliot Jackson TRIBUTE POEM Maureen Sylvester TRIBUTE Apostle George Rodney TRIBUTE POEM Avanell Sylvester SOLO SELECTION Julia Stoutt WHO HAS THE FINAL SAY Shammah Deliverance Ministry Worship Team LIFE IS LIKE A MOUNTAIN RAILROAD Joyful Singers SELECTION Apostolic Faith Church, East End CLOSING OF CASKET Congregation 6 Order of Service SENTENCES Pastor Pearl Smith - Apostolic Faith Church, East End CONGREGATIONAL HYMN Hold The Fort PRAYER Apostle George Rodney, Living Waters Worship Center SCRIPTURE READING(Romans 8:31-39) Maureen Sylvester (Granddaughter) SPECIAL SELECTION Guest Artist – Bridget Blucher PSALM 121 Honourable Marlon Penn (Leader of the Opposition, BVI) GOSPEL – St. John 14: 1-6, 27 Shaunice Leonard (Granddaughter) REFLECTION AND TRIBUTE Valston Graham (DPP, St. Kitts and Nevis) CONGREGATIONAL HYMN Sweeping Through The Gates Of The New Jerusalem PSALM 23 Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (Premier of the BVI) EULOGY Honourable Shawn Richards (Deputy Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis) SPECIAL SELECTION Guest Artist - Bridget Blucher REFLECTION Bevis Sylvester (Son) SERMON Pastor Pearl Smith – Apostolic Faith Church, East End BENEDICTION Pastor Pearl Smith – Apostolic Faith Church, East End RECESSIONAL HYMN Onward Christian Soldier Interment CALL TO ORDER Pastor Pearl Smith PRAYER Pastor Pearl Smith HYMN Oh How Marvelous LAYING OF BODY I Will Meet You In The Morning COMMITMENT TO THE EARTH Pastor Pearl Smith SINGING In The Sweet By and By SINGING Never Alone SINGING Who Has The Final Say SINGING Pass Me Not SINGING There Is Honey In The Rock PLACEMENT OF FLOWERS Hermina Sylvester (Widow) JONATHAN AUGUSTUS SYLVESTER 7 legend of his time Jonathan Augustus Sylvester His finest quality was his patience: an inherent ability to listen, to absorb and to offer a point of view based on quiet, measured wisdom Dutiful, humble, decent, Jonathan Augustus Sylves- reliable, honourable, ter began his journey on dignified, respectful: June 8th, 1935 and ended these are but some of the on October 27th, 2020. qualities that Jonathan He was the son of the late Augustus Sylvester prac- Elizabeth Sylvester and tised every day during his James Gilbert. He came journey on this earth. He from a large and happy was a God-fearing man, a family of three brothers family man, a serious and and eight sisters. disciplined man, but he Jonathan, or Silo as he could never resist the op- was so affectionately portunity to have a laugh known, came to the British with friends and loved Virgin Islands in 1970. ones, and a special dance He love to tell the story with his beloved Hermina. of arriving in the BVI and 8 visit. He looked her straight and replied that he was seeking employment. To his utter surprise, he received a response that he never “to live is expected. Officer Stoutt Christ, and to said, “Mr Sylvester, you are die is gain”. As the saying the most honest person that goes, “Weary has ever passed through soul, waits for here, and for that, I am go- death to carry me home”. ing to stamp your passport Jonathan seeking employment.” He was now stuck in the BVI, his exit strategy did not work. So much for the man with a plan. Jonathan experienced many such lessons in his life. The lesson that God’s plan for you might be different from the one you have for your- self - but as 1 Peter 3 says, Jesus has the last word on seeing all of the cattle, and wanting to return home to St everything and everyone, Vincent immediately. Always the man with a plan, and a from angels to armies, he’s quick thinker, he formulated a strategy - he planned his exit standing right alongside out of the BVI upon arrival. God and what he says goes He quickly accessed the situation at the airport and thought - Jesus has the final say. As that if he told the immigration officer the truth about him he lived, so he died. On wanting to seek employment in BVI, that they would have no Sunday before he passed, choice but to send him back to St. Vincent on the next flight. he uttered those very words So he devised a plan. He let all of his friends who he knew to the nurse on duty “Jesus were also seeking employment to go ahead of him. As has the final say”. expected, those friends did not tell the truth about their It was God’s plan for Jona- purpose of being in the BVI. than, to spend the rest of his When his turn came to face the immigration officer, he was life in the BVI, even though met by the late Gretel Stoutt. She asked the purpose of his he loved his hometown St. JONATHAN AUGUSTUS SYLVESTER 9 Vincent. Shortly after settling in the BVI, Jonathan met the late Leroy Frett, and he became a truck driver. This was the ideal job for him, as he used to drive big trucks back in St. Vincent for the late Thomas John and others. People were very industrious back then, ensuring that they utilized what they had to fit every possible scenario. Jonathan drove a truck that had custom-built wood bench- es and a detachable roof. So on days that Jonathan had a truckload of bananas, he would remove the roof and the wooden seats. On the other days, or even that very day, he would transform his agriculture vehicle into a passenger vehicle for the many people who would have otherwise had to walk. So on those days, on went the roof, and back in went the benches - and Silo never being the one to see people go without, was there to transport people to and from town. This love of people and the desire to help was a big part of the man that he was. If you were lucky to know him, you knew that he was someone you could rely on to get things done. From driving pas- sengers in St. Vincent to providing transportation every Sunday for the late Herman Thomas, the Method- ist Preacher who had to go and 10 preach at various churches, to even Lord. it was the path that he should take. helping out Ket Thomas, his wife on In September 1970, the same year that Silo was known as the Jackhammer Saturdays with a ride as she did her he started driving for Leroy, he sent for man. He worked the Jackhammer as shopping in town. the love of his life, Hermina Sylvester It was really all about community back from St. Vincent and they got married then. Each helping the other as they on the 10th September 1970. That built their lives and community. The same month, they were both baptized notion that it takes a village to raise a and became Christians at the East End child was not lost on most - especially Apostolic Faith Church under the late the children of the community. Ket Joshua Crab. Thomas was one of those community Silo, the consummate storyteller, liked mothers who would quickly report to tell the story of how Anteen and the back to Silo if one of his children others would pray you through until skipped school - and Mr Jonathan the holy ghost came upon you. No Sylvester was a man who believed that matter how long it took - and for some, if you spare the rod - you spoiled the that meant hours - and those ladies child. would pray and pray into the night, Well done, Community watch. Community build. pouring oil and praying - because as Community family. These were the Silo knew, Christianity was not self-pro- good and themes back then, and Silo embraced claimed...the holy ghost had to come. it wholeheartedly. While he embraced his faith with faithful servant. Driving members of his community all of his heart, he was not a perfect continued to be one of his main inter- man.
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