Governor General Sir Rodney Williams delivered a deeply personal eulogy at Saturday's official funeral for Sir Aziz Hadeed, describing a friendship spanning decades and a bond so close he considered Sir Aziz to be family. According to Antigua.news, Sir Rodney spoke at the Holy Family Cathedral, making clear that his tribute came not in his official capacity but as a personal friend.
"For me, Aziz was much more than a national figure. He was my brother and he was my friend," Sir Rodney said.
Sir Rodney revealed that the two men had spoken by telephone almost every three days throughout their friendship, discussing matters of national importance, family, business and world affairs. He said the last conversation came roughly two weeks before Sir Aziz's death, when he and Lady Williams had spent a weekend with Sir Aziz and Lady Mahasin Hadeed at their home in Chicago.
"We walked out of the door without knowing that we were walking out of his life forever," Sir Rodney said. "We did not know that he would never again walk the ground of his beloved Antigua and Barbuda."
The Governor General traced Sir Aziz's life from his birth in Syria on February 28, 1947, saying that values of hard work, perseverance, faith and loyalty had shaped his character from an early age. Sir Rodney recalled a visit to Government House for a royal presentation, during which his own father claimed Sir Aziz as one of his sons.
"To our father and to all of us, Aziz was never an outsider," Sir Rodney said. "He was a true brother and a beloved son."
Sir Rodney chronicled Sir Aziz's business journey, beginning with his days at St. Joseph's Academy, where he sold goods around the country as a student, through to building one of Antigua and Barbuda's most successful companies, with roots in the sale of Nissan vehicles. He described Sir Aziz as possessing an uncanny ability to assess people, situations and proposals with accuracy — qualities that made him both an exceptional businessman and a trusted advisor.
Sir Rodney also spoke at length about Sir Aziz's commitment to education, highlighting his leadership of the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus Council, which he chaired from its founding in August 2019 until his death. Under Sir Aziz's stewardship, student enrolment grew from 350 to over 2,000 in little more than five years.
"The US$80 million that has been earmarked for development will ensure that the campus continues to thrive to the lasting memory of Sir Aziz," Sir Rodney said.
He closed with a final personal tribute. "Antigua and Barbuda has lost a great son. The Caribbean has lost a distinguished leader in business. And I have lost a brother," Sir Rodney said. "Rest in peace, my brother and friend."
