By LEDEDRA MARCHE

Senior FN Reporter

lededra@nasguard.com

The body of Grand Bahama Port Authority Chairman Edward St. George returned to his beloved Freeport yesterday and he received a welcome that would have made him extremely proud if he were alive.

Staff of the GBPA, where Mr. St. George controlled and conducted the affairs of Freeport, lined off impressively in front of the imposing pink and white Port Authority building on The Mall Drive as his body passed in a hearse with police escort leading the way.

The body was brought to Freeport one day after his death at a Houston, Texas hospital, where he had undergone surgery weeks ago for a heart valve replacement.

Following in the motorcade behind the hearse were Mr. St. George's wife, Lady Henrietta, and family members, GBPA executives, government officials and a host of white police Urban Renewal vehicles.

The vehicle procession began at Grand Bahama International Airport, where the coffin, draped in the Bahamian flag, was removed from a private jet and placed into an awaiting hearse whilst a police officer played "Taps" on the saxophone.

From there, the motorcade moved onto The Mall Drive, then onto Sunrise Highway and ended at Restview Memorial Mort-uary on Coral Road.

A private, yet brief ceremony was held at Restview with immediate family members and friends and Archbishop Keith Cartwright before the motorcade dispersed from the funeral home grounds.

Meanwhile, tributes to Mr. St. George continued to pour in today.

Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce President Dr. Doswell Coakley expres-sed deepest sympathy to Lady Henrietta and family, Mr. St. George's business partner Sir Jack Hayward and executives of the Grand Bahama Port Authority Group of Companies.

Noting that Mr. St. George had been a long-time supporter of the chamber, Dr. Coakley said his generosity can never be measured.

He added that Mr. St. George was one of the prime movers of the land that was made available to the chamber for the construction of the office building.

Prior to that, Dr. Coakley pointed out, the GBPA facilitated the chamber's occupancy of office spaces in the Sir Charles Hayward Library building at a token cost of $12 per annum, which included water, electricity and general maintenance.

"For this and more, the chamber will always be grateful," Dr. Coakley said. "The GBPA, the island of Grand Bahama and our community has lost a dear friend."

Dr. Coakley said the best way to honour Mr. St. George's memory is for everyone to commit to working together and making Grand Bahama the envy of the region.

Grand Bahama Taxi Union President James Kemp, who shared a special affection towards Mr. St. George, called it a gloomy day in Freeport and reminisced on the days of unrest in Freeport when the late former Prime Minister Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling and the cab drivers were arrested.

"Actually, Mr. St. George was the magistrate who let them out. And, from that day, I think he had a bond with the taxi drivers," Mr. Kemp said.

In fact, according to Kemp, they found favour with the late chairman of the GBPA who had a passion for the drivers and has assisted them to the tune of nearly $3 million in kind.

Explaining, he said that assistance came in the form of anywhere from ground transport agreements to personal assistance, to helping out through loans.

Mr. St. George made arrangements with the bank for the drivers to attain buses and was also instrumental in providing land for the union.

"He was always a personal friend to the union," Mr. Kemp said. "He is an honourary member, the drivers loved him dearly, he was there for us through thick and thin and he will definitely be missed."

Mr. Kemp pledged that the 600 drivers will continue to ensure there is peace in the ground transportation industry, which Mr. St. George wanted.

He is confident the GBPA management team will continue the relationship with the Taxi Union even in Mr. St. George's passing.

"I think that will be a life-long relationship, and I have no doubt the Port will honour their commitments and I think we'll be OK," he said.