A small wooden box carried the remains of a giant among men as people from around the world gathered yesterday to celebrate the life of Dr. Pauulu Kamarakafego (Roosevelt Brown).

It was a memorial service full of laughter and joy but also bereavement at the passing of one of the world’s true global citizens. Dr. Kamarakafego lived what can only be described as a full life, achieving more in his 74 years than many of history’s more renowned figures. A modest man, his contribution to the planet may perhaps only be fully recognised among future generations.

But yesterday those who knew him travelled to a service at the Berkeley Institute to pay their final respects to the man known to his Bermuda family as Roosevelt or Uncle Roose.

Hundreds of family, friends and colleagues from around the world paid tribute to the civil rights campaigner, United Nations development officer and ecological engineer, in a moving two-hour service.

In his welcome speech, Wentworth Christopher of the PLP, said: “You have all come from far and wide to say goodbye to one of the most remarkable men Bermuda has ever produced.

“It is said that all men are created equal but, out of many, there are a few who rise above their fellow men and become great. I think this statement reflects on the man we are here to honour and remember today. We ask that his soul may rest in peace.”

A minute’s silence for the presentation of Dr. Kamarakafego’s ashes brought a solemn moment to proceedings, but this was followed by the uplifting refrain of the James Weldon Johnson hymn ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ (the Negro National Anthem).

Musician Wendell ‘Shine’ Hayward then played ‘Memory’, from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Cats’, on the soprano sax. It was a fitting tribute to a man who left his presence on several continents and in the hearts of many. In Bermuda, Dr. Kamarakafego is remembered as a legendary civil rights campaigner who led the Committee for Universal Adult Suffrage towards ‘one person, one vote’ in 1963.

He then travelled the globe, dedicating his life to improving the lives of others. Through his work as an ecological engineer and a development officer for the UN, he helped developing countries in Africa, Asia, Central America and the Pacific towards sustainability and independence.

Premier Dr. Ewart Brown told those present yesterday: “The nations represented here and the condolences received since Pauulu’s passing bear witness to the fact that Roosevelt Brown was just too much for this little Island of ours.

“The world called on him and his duty became to answer.”

Dr. Brown also praised Dr. Kamarakafego’s design for a new levee system for New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

“He always caused us to marvel at his ingenuity and take pride in his success. The world is better for his having been a part.”

A wonderful poem about his uncle by Eugene ‘Sam’ Maybury resulted in a standing ovation, and then daughter Rronniba Kamarakafego brought tears as she told of her love for her father. “I’ll always be my daddy’s baby, no matter what,” she said.

Vejay Steede, a close friend of Dr. Kamarakafego, described him as “a force of nature”.

“There is no greater honour than to be treated with respect by a man who has moved the world,” he said. “Pauulu will never die. His work on this earth will go on forever. His presence on this planet will reap rewards for generations to come.”

Rev. Larry Lowe, pastor of Mount Zion AME Church in Southampton, added: “He had a warm heart for all of mankind and whatever he could do to make someone’s life better, it was at the top of his agenda.”