BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Friday 3rd October 2025)-The legacy of the late Sir Edmund Wickham Lawrence, GCMG, KCMG, OBE, CSM, JP, is remembered not just for his pioneering role in building indigenous financial institutions, but for the lasting impact those institutions continue to have on the lives of ordinary people. 

Laid to rest on Thursday 2nd October 2025 at the age of 93, the founder of the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank Ltd., the National Bank Trust Company, and National Caribbean Insurance Company was celebrated as a man whose vision reshaped the nation’s economic landscape during the state funeral held at the Wesley Methodist Church, preceded by the burial at the Springfield Cemetery

“These institutions he established continue to foster economic growth, enabling generations of entrepreneurs and homeowners,” stated representative for National Bank group of companies Ermelin  Sebastian-Duggins during her tribute on behalf of the Board of Directors, management and staff.

She emphasized: “Through his foresight not only gave customers access to financial security, but also created opportunities for their staff. The policies implemented  under his leadership allowed employees to pursue higher education, develop new skills and improve their financial well-being. As a result, generations of families have benefited from the stability, empowerment and professional growth that Sir Edmund’s leadership made possible.”

Paying “the deepest respect and gratitude to our great founder Sir Edmund Wickham Lawrence,” Sebastian-Duggins hailed him as “a visionary leader, foresight, determination and unwavering commitment to the advancement of our people, gave birth to these institutions.”

Remembering his personal qualities, she described him as “a man of principle, humility, and purpose” who “walked with confidence, led with wisdom and inspired loyalty. His purpose led him house to house, and community to community where he sat with ordinary men and women asking them to trust the bank with their hard earned weekly wages. Many gave, not because they were wealthy  but because they believed in the audacity of his vision,” she said, noting that this bond of trust formed the foundation on which the National Bank was built over the past 54 years. Through his steadfast leadership, the bank grew from modest beginnings  to become the largest indigenous financial institution in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union.  A shining example of what vision coupled with  tenacity  can accomplish. Sir Edmund’s vision for financial empowerment of the people of St.Kitts and .Kitts-Nevis  and Anguilla also led its expansion into the allied fields of trust management and insurance through the creation of the National Bank Trust Company in 1972 and the National Caribbean Insurance Company in 1973.”

According to her, “As we celebrate Sir Edmund’s life and legacy, we honour not only the financial platforms he founded but the countless lives he touched along the way. His journey from growing the ‘Penny Bank’ to becoming the leading regional financial institution is a testament to what vision and relentless vision can achieve.” 

“Sir Edmund has left us,” she expressed, “but his vision, his values, and his kindness are etched in the institutions that he built, in the opportunities they created, and in the minds of those he encountered. St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank, National Caribbean Insurance, and the National Bank Trust- Sir Edmund will always be our inspiration and our compass.”

Beyond his role in finance, Sir Edmund also gave distinguished service to the nation as Governor-General of St. Kitts and Nevis from 2013 to 2015, where he represented the Crown with dignity and humility. A decorated national servant, his life embodied the values of vision, perseverance, and integrity. His impact reached across economic, civic, and social life – ensuring that his legacy will live on not only in the institutions he built but in the very fabric of the nation he helped to strengthen.

Front Page Image: The casket of the late 93-year-old Sir Edmund Wickham Lawrence, GCMG, KCMG, OBE, CSM, JP, draped in the St.Kitts-Nevis national flag  seen during the procession moving about Cayon Street in Basseterre  en route to the Springfield Cemetery following the state funeral held at the Wesley Methodist Church on Thursday 2nd October 2025 

Photo: The Sir Edmund Wickham Lawrence, GCMG, KCMG, OBE, CSM, JP