By Terry Haynes, former member of the Bishop’s College Steel Orchestra
It is with heavy hearts, but also with deep gratitude, that we honour the life and service of Mr. Lennox John.
Mr. John wore many hats in his community. He was a deacon in the St. George’s Cathedral in Kingstown, where he served with humility and faith. He was president of the SVG Cricket Association, giving his time and leadership to a sport that unites our nation. But for many of us, me included, he was our principal at the Bishop’s College, Kingstown.
As a founding member of the Bishop’s College Steel Orchestra, an orchestra that would not exist without Mr. John, he did not just approve the idea. He championed it. He found instruments when there was none. He found practice time when the schedule said there was none. He found funding, transport and encouragement when we thought we hit a wall. Because of his input and unwavering support, that steel band grew from a bold idea to one of the school’s staples. It became part of our identity. It became part of how Bishop’s College showed up in this country.
That was Mr. John in everything he did. He was always helpful and he always found ways to help us be successful. Not just in music, in the classroom, on the cricket field, in life.
As a principal, he poured into us. He made sure we, his students, got every opportunity available to complete our high school journey successfully. He saw potential in us before we saw it in ourselves, and he refused to let us leave Bishop’s College without the tools to make something of our lives.
There was not a single point in time that he did not support the steel band. Rain or shine, competition, or school assembly, if we were playing, Mr. John was there. Sometimes front row, sometimes in the back, nodding along. Always present. Always proud.
To serve as a deacon, to lead cricket at a national level, to guide a school- each role alone is a life’s work. Mr. John did all three and he did them with integrity, discipline, and a quiet love for his people. He taught us that leadership isn’t about titles. It’s about showing up. It’s about making space for others to succeed.
It is with profound sadness that we extend condolences to his family, to the St. George’s Cathedral community, to the cricket fraternity, and to the generations of Bishop’s College students who were shaped by him. We have lost a giant.
But Mr. John’s legacy doesn’t rest in this silence. It lives in every student he pushed across the finish line. It lives in every cricketer who benefited from his stewardship. It lives in every note that the Bishop’s College Steel Orchestra will ever play.
Mr. John, thank you. Thank you for seeing us. Thank you for believing in us. Thank you for building things that outlast us.
May your soul rest in peace, and may your light continue to guide us.
We will keep the beat going, sir.