[Eulogy at the funeral of iconic steelband leader, researcher and ambassador, Nestor Sullivan delivered by Andre Moses, his long-time friend and steelband co-conspirator]
Nestor Sullivan
In an original, the pieces of the puzzle may often seem contrasting and fit themselves together in unique ways. Nestor Sullivan was a rebel, a make-it-happen-man, a revolutionary and a ‘limer,’ a man of impatience and patience, a mentor whose example was powerful and inspiring, and yet reflective of his human frailties and his own journey of self-discovery. He was at the same time a leader and a team player, a man whose passion combined, selfish and selfless purpose, with a love that he could only express in his own way. Our brother Nestor was by any definition an original and we are all extremely privileged to have known him.
His sister Gail describes a young Nestor as a bit of a rebel, with a tendency to get into sibling battles, mainly because, he wanted to do what he wanted to do. She recalled their mother Uthilma, in tears when the common entrance results were released and Nestor had passed for St. Mary’s College, because studying was not a priority amongst the things a young Nestor willing and or wanted to do. In time though, his curiosity made studying something that came naturally, but more of that later.
Marriage, his wife Janice, and the birth of his only son Chike bought stability to Nestor’s whirlwind lifestyle. A home and a family that was uniquely his and without which he would have been incomplete and about which he often spoke with love, pride, and satisfaction. Towards the end, Nestor’s short-term memory was decreasing, but I suspect the pride with which he repeatedly, announced and celebrated, the birth of his grandson Imari came from a deeper place.
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