Mr. William Warren Conolly, OBE, JP.
 
Delivered by Past President Mr. William H. Adam.

The Cayman Islands community and the members of the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce have lost one of its true statesmen and visionaries with the recent passing of Mr. William Warren Conolly, OBE, JP, who passed away on 22nd October. Mr. Conolly’s contributions to the political, economic and social development policies of the Cayman Islands and his home district of East End reflect a Caymanian’s mission to make a difference in the country he loved.
 
Born in East End in 1920, Mr. Conolly grew up at a time when the Cayman Islands did not enjoy all of the modern conveniences of today.  His father Mr. Austin Burns Conolly owned one the main shops in East End and the Conolly’s were seen as the Civic leaders of the District.  Mr. Austin served East End as Collector of Customs, Sub-Postmaster, Registrar of Births and Deaths, Deputy Receiver of Wrecks, and lighthouse tender.  
 
He collected taxes for East End and North Side, served as a Justice of the Peace and Member of the Assembly from 1924 to 1958, and was a member of the Board of Education.   He supervised the construction of the road from Frank Sound to East End in 1935 in 3 months, continuing to Gun Bay in 1940, giving these two districts easier access to the rest of the island.   He was a merchant and ship owner who owned the schooners the Conolly and Maria and the yawls A.A. Mona and A.A. Radium.   He was also a shareholder in the CIMBOCO.
 
The Conolly’s schooners were trading regionally from Jamaica, Panama, Hounduras, Belize, Cuba and the USA.  Goods for the “White Ball Brothers” store in East End were brought in from as far away as New York and Japan through Jamaica or Tampa. All at a time before the roads made it to East End.
 
Mr. Warren attended the Government All Age School where he passed the Third Year Pupil Teachers Examination with Distinction and qualified for entrance to college overseas. He never got the chance to attend college due to the limited funds at the time to send Caymanians overseas to attend school. Further efforts to obtain a higher education in Jamaica where he was due to be articled to a law firm were dashed when his family’s retail business suffered a loss due to fire.
 
In 1944, Mr. Warren decided to follow his father into public service and he was elected as a Vestryman for East End and served one year.
Upon his return Mr. Warren re-established the family business as a general merchandise store together with an adjacent entertainment centre known as “The Bright Spot.”
 
Mr. Warren re-entered politics in 1952 as one of the elected members for the Legislative Assembly of Justices and Vestrymen and served for six years.
 
In 1958, Mr. Warren founded the Cayman Vanguard Party. One year later, under the new Constitution, Mr. Warren was appointed by Jamaican Governor, Sir Kenneth Blackburne, as one of the nominated members of the Legislative Assembly and served three years.
 
In 1962 Mr. Warren became a founding member and Vice President of the National Democratic Party and was elected as a Member for East End. He served for 14 years until 1976. During this period he served as a Member for 8 years (1968-1976) in Executive Council (now known as Cabinet) and had responsibility for various portfolios including Lands and Survey, Planning, Tourism, Environment and National Resources, Agriculture and Mosquito Control.
 
In 1964 Mr. Warren was a founding member of the Cayman Islands Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
 
In 1965 Mr. Conolly worked along with the late Mr. William S. Walker, OBE, JP and the late Mr. Harry McCoy, OBE, to draft the Chamber’s Articles and Memorandum of Association.
 
Mr. Warren also served as a founding member of the Cayman Islands Law Society in 1967 and served on its Council for two terms.
 
Mr. Warren served in the Legislative Assembly during a time when many of the important decisions to introduce key pieces of legislation that would shape Cayman’s economic future were made. He played an active role by either proposing and/or reviewing important pieces of legislation such as The Companies Law, the Bank and Trust Companies Law, the Confidentiality Relationships (Preservation) Law, the Caymanian Protection Law (now known as the Immigration Law), the Cadastral Survey, the Land Adjudication Law and the Registered Land Law, the Cayman Islands Constitution of 1972 and the Tourism Law and the establishment of a Department of Tourism; the development of electricity services by Caribbean Utilities Company Ltd. (Mr. Warren served as a Director on the Board from 1966 until 2000 when he retired as Director Emeritus);  the establishment of the Mosquito Research and Control Unit under the leadership of Marco Giglioli; the official introduction of the Cayman Islands Currency in May 1972 and the completion of major Government buildings and infrastructure such as the Legislative Assembly Building, the Port Authority finger pier and warehouse, the paved road system, the Government hospital renovation, the Government Administration Building and the Courts Building.  These all formed the basis of the commercial, financial and tourism Industries here in the Cayman Islands.
 
“Mr. Warren was one of those persons with a vision of the home grown energy the Caymanian people had to develop Islands known in the mid 1900’s as the “Islands time forgot,” reflects Past Chamber President Mr. William H. Adam who served as President from 1983-1985.  
 
“As one of the foundation builders, Mr. Warren’s contribution to set the Chamber of Commerce on the path of continued success is seen until today, as the building of the Chamber of Commerce continues. The ongoing development of the Chamber of Commerce owes much to foundation builders like Mr. Warren who recognised the importance of a good foundation.”
 
In 1974 in recognition of his significant contribution to the development of these Islands Mr. Warren was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty the Queen. In 1995, he was awarded the Silver Thatch Award for his contribution to Tourism development in the Islands. He was also honoured by the Mid-Brooklyn Political Party for services to the Cayman Islands.
 
The current and past Chamber of Commerce Councils, Staff and membership are indebted to this extraordinary statesman and visionary leader who helped to establish the foundation, not only for the association, but also for the country. May his soul rest in peace.