Governor General Sir Rodney Williams delivered the eulogy at Saturday’s official funeral for Sir Aziz Hadeed, describing a friendship spanning decades and a bond so close that Sir Rodney regarded Sir Aziz as family.

Speaking at the Holy Family Cathedral, Sir Rodney said he offered his tribute not in his capacity as Governor General but as a personal friend.

“For me, Aziz was much more than a national figure. He was my brother and he was my friend.”

Sir Rodney said the two men had spoken by telephone almost every three days throughout their friendship, covering matters of national importance, family, business and world affairs.

Governor General Sir Rodney Williams and Mrs Williams

He said the last time they spoke was approximately two weeks before Sir Aziz’s death, when he and Lady Williams had spent a weekend with Sir Aziz and Lady Mahasin Hadeed at their home in Chicago.

“We walked out of the door without knowing that we were walking out of his life forever,” Sir Rodney said. “We did not know that he would never again walk the ground of his beloved Antigua and Barbuda.”

The Governor General traced Sir Aziz’s journey from Syria, where he was born February 28, 1947, and said the family values of hard work, perseverance, faith and loyalty shaped the course of Sir Aziz’s life from an early age.

Sir Rodney recalled an occasion when Sir Aziz accompanied the Williams family to Government House for a royal presentation, and their father claimed Sir Aziz as one of his own sons.

“To our father and to all of us, Aziz was never an outsider,” Sir Rodney said. “He was a true brother and a beloved son.”

Sir Rodney described Sir Aziz’s business journey from his days at St. Joseph’s Academy, where he sold goods around the country as a student, through to building what became one of Antigua and Barbuda’s most successful companies, beginning with the sale of Nissan vehicles.

He said Sir Aziz had an uncanny ability to assess people, situations and proposals with accuracy, and that those qualities made him an exceptional businessman and trusted advisor.

Sir Rodney spoke at length about Sir Aziz’s commitment to education and his leadership of the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus Council, which he chaired from its founding in August 2019 until his death.

He said student enrolment grew from 350 to over 2,000 in little more than five years under Sir Aziz’s stewardship.

“The US$80 million that has been earmarked for development will ensure that the campus continues to thrive to the lasting memory of Sir Aziz,” Sir Rodney said.
He closed his eulogy with a final personal tribute.

“Antigua and Barbuda has lost a great son. The Caribbean has lost a distinguished leader in business. And I have lost a brother,” Sir Rodney said. “Rest in peace, my brother and friend.”