Eric Connor June 1988 - August 2005

Eric on bike

Friday,  September 9, 2005

The life and tragic death of this young man has made a special imprint on the heart of the small community of Cayman Brac. Remembered as a gifted athlete, Eric spent the last two years hospitalized after a car accident at the age of fifteen left him severely disabled.

A candle-lit vigil was held at the Fellowship Baptist Church at Watering Place on Saturday 6 September. The following story of Eric’s life was read by Gilbert McLean at his funeral Sunday 7 September, where well over 500 family, friends, neighbours, schoolmates, and teachers filled the Civic Centre.

ERIC LEWIN CONNOR was born at the George Town Hospital, Grand Cayman on 20th June 1988, the only child of Juliet Cassellman nee Connor. Five days after his birth his mother brought him home to Cayman Brac, where he attended school and grew into his early teens.

Eric, was a lively happy child, who grew quickly into a healthy young boy. He attended the Creek Primary School from 1993 to 2000. It was there that he first showed outstanding athletic ability, and achieved Champion Boy athlete of the school. From Primary School, Eric went on to attend Cayman Brac High School from 2000 to September 2003.  Eric enjoyed attending High School and his favorite teacher was Mr. Clyne. 

From his earliest childhood he had the love and care of his mother and her family and his father, Mark Tibbetts and his family.

 Eric had a very special bond with his grandfathers, Roy Tibbetts and Clemens O’Connor.

Eric, also had the benefit of religious instructions throughout his young life from family and through attending Fellowship Baptist Church and the Watering Place Church of God (Holiness).

As he grew into adolescence he continued to show outstanding ability in sports. He participated in Basketball, Track and Field, Cycling, Swimming, Softball and Soccer. One achievement at age twelve plus was winning the Cayman Brac Annual Rotary Open Bike-a-thon, competing against adults, some of whom were experienced cyclists.

He was also part of a Cayman Brac Team that traveled to Florida to compete in Basketball. As a member of the Cayman Brac Primary School Team he competed in the 1999 Inter Primary Schools Soccer competition in Grand Cayman which the Brac won for the first and only time to date. Sports activity proved a natural condition for him.

Just a few months prior to the accident which changed his life, he was one of three young people selected to train for a Sprint competition in Florida.

Although he loved sports he also had his hobbies of fishing and fixing bicycles. He also kept up with the latest pop music and reggae songs.

As often as he could he indulged in his favorite food, fried chicken and chips with Pepsi.

Eric’s great aspiration was to graduate from High School so that he could go to University with his cousin Kamaal to study electronics and electrical engineering.

This, tragically, was not to be, because early on Saturday 20th September 2003, he was a passenger in a car that met in a devastating accident. He was 15 years of age at that time. Eric suffered severe brain and spinal injuries and had to be air ambulanced to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida.

He remained at this Hospital from September 2003 to February 2004 when he was returned by Air Ambulance to Faith Hospital where he remained until his passing. Eric passed from this life on Tuesday, 23rd August 2005, at the age of 17 years, 2 months and 3 days.

Throughout his illness at Faith Hospital he received professional care and treatment and his family wishes to express its deepest thanks to Dr Delroy Jefferson and the staff of the Faith Hospital.

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