By Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Tuesday 12th September 2023) -In further remembrance of the late Mr. Rudolph Morton, better known as ‘Pa’ and ‘Rudy’ this publication hereby shares part one of the eulogy from the thanksgiving of life service held on Monday 4th September 2023, at the Warner Park Cricket Stadium.
Please see as follows below, delivered by his daughter Adia Morton. Rudolph Malcolm Morton was born in Basseterre, St. Kitts on the third day of May in 1944 and was the third of six children of Wilmoth and Lillian Morton.
The Mortons were successful entrepreneurs in a young country creeping away from colonialism with new possibilities for ambitious locals, and, at a young age, Rudolph learned to work hard, to be persistent in his endeavours, and to manage resources. He benefited from his parents’ success: he attended Teacher Willie’s (private elementary) School before going on to the St.
Kitts-Nevis Grammar School, located at The Village where he would meet life-long friends like Nellon Bowry, Poesy Southwell, Winston “Blues” Ceasar, Marley Hector, Desmond Ward, and Carlton “Chickey” Byron. This band of brothers would enjoy soccer and cricket practice and games together and “œhang-out” at the “Realto” – that’s the corner at Fort Street and Cayon Street.
After his high school graduation, he worked at the family’s grocery store at 10 Cayon Street and drove the delivery truck around the island to support the family’s expanding wholesale business department. That was his day job.
But at night, he still enjoyed an active social life. He was even in a band, The Willie Richards Combo Band! He was a backup singer and played the triangle. His buddy, “Blues”, was on guitar, and his other buddy, Poesy, was a singer.
These gentlemen went all out: they had very fancy matching outfits and “dance moves,” as he would recall. In 1965, at the age of twenty-one, he moved to St. Thomas to reach for more opportunities. He was married for the first time in 1966 and adopted two beautiful very young daughters, Caroline and Beverly.
By that time, he had started to become the kind and generous family man that he had always wanted to be. As his ex-wife, Mel, would recently recall, “He was a nice man. He took good care of my children.” In 1968, Rudolph left St.
Thomas for New York and was soon followed by his family. In New York, he would further his education and work to support his family. In 1973, he graduated from TheBorough of Manhattan Community College of The City University of New York (BMCC) with an Associate of the Arts degree in Business Administration.
In 1975, he
would earn a Baccalaureate degree in Business Administration (BBA) (Business Management and Marketing) from The Bernard M. Baruch College of The City University of New York. One job about which he often spoke was atan upscale shoe store in Midtown Manhattan where he met so many famous people and where, with his business acumen, he quickly rose through the ranks to manage this famous store.
In 1976, he moved back to St. Kitts for one year then on to St. Thomas in 1977 where he completed his Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) specializing in Finance from the University of the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1980.
While in St. Thomas, he worked as a senior budget analyst in the Office of the Budget Director of the U.S.V.I. government, and he successfully administered the budgetary functions of various government departments and agencies to the tune of about 120million U.S. dollars.
Photo: Kwamin Morton (seen writing), younger son of the late Mr. Rudolph Morton, better known as ‘Pa’ and ‘Rudy’ signs a memorial portrait following the thanksgiving of life service held on Monday 4th September 2023 at the Warner Park Cricket Stadium. (Spokesman Snap)
