Lennox Ballah cremated after funeral service at Trinity Cathedral

HUNDREDS of family and friends, including former Attorney General Russell Martineau, Foreign Affairs Minister Knowlson Gift and Public Utilities and Environment Minister Rennie Dumas yesterday flocked to the Trinity Cathedral, Port-of-Spain to pay their last respects to their friend and colleague Lennox Fitzroy Ballah. The service was officiated by Reverend Knolly Clarke.

Ballah, 74, a retired Permanent Secretary with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs died at around 7.30 pm on Saturday at the Community Hospital in Cocorite. He is survived by his wife Martina, four daughters, Lennon, Lindi, Leslie and Kimberly and son Lyndon. Other dignitaries including former Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Hans Geiser, Independent Senator Christopher Thomas and former Minister of National Security John Donaldson.

During the service, Independent Senator Christopher Thomas gave a brief history of Ballah’s life and times. Ballah, a retired Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was born on August 26, 1929, in Fyzabad Trinidad. He was the third of seven children and attended the Dudley Commercial School, before moving on to Fyzabad Secondary. After attending Fyzabad Secondary, Ballah continued his education at Naparima College, the Government Training College, University College of the West Indies, London University, Middle Temple and Colombia University.

He also held several teaching positions in Trinidad and Tobago and West Africa before joining the Foreign Service in 1965. Thomas pointed out that Ballah would be best remembered for his negotiations with the United Nations on the sea bed in the early 1970’s. He later became a director of the local Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), and had only recently been elected to serve as a judge on the International Law of the Sea Tribunal, which is headquartered in Germany.

Apart from being a hard worker with a wealth of knowledge, Ballah had strong family roots and believed in putting his children first. Thomas said he remembered speaking to Ballah about an appointment that would have taken him away from his family and he stated that “the education and welfare of my daughters are my first priority”. He was also quite excited when his son sat the SEA exam just over a year ago and was very excited to hear the results. His only son Lyndon successfully passed the exam to be placed in St Anthony’s College.

Also paying his respect was former Minister of National Security John Donaldson, who described Ballah as a knowledgeable and dedicated public servant, who gave selflessly of himself and his time. He said he remembered in March 1981, Ballah willingly gave his home to hold a meeting of State officials, who had to meet to put things in place for the smooth transition of power after the death of the late Prime Minister Eric Williams. He said that Ballah also found time to lime and spend time with his friends and believed in the traditional Trini expression that you could never stand on one drink. The late Lennox Fitzroy Ballah was cremated at the Crematorium in St. James following the church service. 

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