A special memorial in honor of late towering public figure and career diplomat, Hon. Sylvester M. Grigsby was held here, Sunday, December 7, at the S.T. Nagbe United Methodist Church located in Monrovia’s Sinkor District suburb, with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr., and a host of the deceased’s immediate relatives, close friends, schoolmates, and foreign diplomats in full attendance.

Hon. Sylvester Grigsby’s diplomatic career spanned several decades during which he served more than three government administrations including Samuel Doe, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and the present administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai. Among positions late Grigsby served include, former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, former Minister of State Without Portfolio, and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Hon. Grigsby, a close friend of President Boakai, dating back to their school-days at College of West Africa (CWA), also worked previously as superintendent of Sinoe County and later, Executive Director for President Boakai’s charity, the JNB Foundation in Paynesville, Liberia, which freely donates agriculture, and classroom items like chairs and benches as well as hospitals supplies like modern X-Ray machines, Incubators, and Dental Equipment among many other things.   

Hon. Grigsby passed away a few months ago while he was visiting the United States, mainly Texas and was buried there. Present Liberia’s leader, H.E. Joseph Nyuma Boakai, a former schoolmate of late Hon. Grigsby, dispatched a strong delegation that included his own son, who gave a tribute during the funeral in the U.S.

After Grigsby’s funeral in Texas, a few months ago, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s charity, which the deceased ran before returning to the U.S., decided to host Sunday’s memorial in order to afford Liberians, friends and foreign dignitaries at home to pay homage to the late diplomat.   

President Boakai eulogized the memorial Sunday, calling late Hon. Sylvester M. Grigsby “a friend and a brother.” 

He described him as a very close friend and said, Grigsby was “a very brilliant” and smart student in their school. “Sylvester was loved because of who he was,” President Boakai continued, saying he followed Grigsby’s activities even when Grigsby was superintendent for Sinoe.

He spoke of how bad our Liberian society has gone nowadays, and expressed regret that most people (Liberians), tend to celebrate “mediocrity” rather than celebrate “substance”, the last of which he prefers. 

He explained how people sometimes put him under pressure (like they’ve done to every leader here), and request he fire certain individuals-apparently not their friend or preferred official-whenever something is amiss. In such cases, “They (referring to the people) are often looking for friendship,” he said. 

However, for him, President Boakai, he maintained that he personally “Looks for both friendship and quality,” as well. This remark was in reference to Grigsby’s hard work, dedication to tasks, plus his endless sacrifices which speaker after speaker pointed out throughout the event. 

President Boakai cited the early years of JNB Foundation as another period during which late Grigsby sacrificed everything for this foundation, a time he stated, when there wasn’t money available to run the charity, let alone pay Hon. Grigsby, and both had to run around to get money and help people in need. 

According to him, he first met the deceased at the College of West Africa, an Ivy type of college here, where both became friends. It was at that college he said he befriended other notable Liberians after Grigsby, like the “Minors, Majors, the Greens,” through services he rendered the college at the time in the business office as the Dean for the Boys dormitory. 

He said Liberia still has “Good people,” adding “But you have to be one.” Hon. Grigsby, he observed, “was one.”

The JNB Foundation also gave a special tribute during the memorial, calling Grigsby “an Ambassador of Development.” Current JNB Foundation Chairman, Rev. David Fatorma who spoke described late Grigsby as someone he said, “Understood that a true development is built on relationship and trust.”

Special tributes also came from Amb. & Prof. Dew T.W. Mayson and Mr. Yin Chengwu, Chinese Ambassador to Liberia, as well as Mr. Nathaniel Davids, all of whom were friends of the late diplomat and his family. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs all gave touching tributes during Sunday’s memorial.

Veteran Liberian politician Dr. Togba-Nah Tipoteh who hails from Sinoe, home of late Grigsby, did a special solo, meant to console Grigsby’s widow. Before a jammed packed congregation Dr. Tipoteh slowly walked to Mrs. Grigsby, rested his right hand on her shoulder and sang loudly before ending the song.  

The memorial was attended by the former president of the Republic of Liberia, H.E. Ellen Johnso-Sirleaf. Honorable Jackson K. George Jr., current Executive Director for the JNB Foundation, coordinated the event, assisted by his Deputy Executive Director Henry Saa Flanpor. 

The deceased’s widow Mrs. Cleopatra S. Grigsby thanked Liberians for allowing her late husband to serve the nation during those long years, saying such opportunities allowed him Grigsby fulfilled what she referred to as “his deepest passion,” diplomacy.