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BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, June 9, 2026 — St. Kitts and Nevis is preparing for an emotional four days of national reflection, remembrance, and farewell, as mourners gather to pay final respects to four well-known nationals whose lives touched the worlds of culture, music, sport, education, community, and national service.

From Wednesday, June 10, to Saturday, June 13, hundreds of mourners are expected to attend Thanksgiving Services for the late Seymour “Tally” Davis, legendary musician and calypso giant Elston “King Elli Matt” Nero, M.H., CSM, cultural artist and educator Dennis Leroy Delaney-Richards, CSM, and young footballer and banker Shervin King II, affectionately known as “Shekky.”

The week is expected to be one of the most solemn and culturally significant periods of public mourning in recent memory, as the nation pauses to honour individuals whose names and contributions have left a lasting imprint on the federation.

Seymour “Tally” Davis to Be Laid to Rest on Wednesday

The first Thanksgiving Service will be held on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, for MacKnight-born Seymour “Tally” Davis.

The service will take place at the Antioch Baptist Church, with viewing and tributes beginning at 1:00 p.m. The Thanksgiving Service is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. Interment will follow at the Springfield Cemetery.

Davis was well known and respected by many across the community, and his farewell is expected to bring together family, friends, neighbours, and loved ones in a collective moment of reflection and gratitude for his life.

Official Funeral for Calypso Legend King Elli Matt on Thursday

On Thursday, June 11, 2026, St. Kitts and Nevis will accord an Official Funeral to one of its most iconic cultural figures, Elston “King Elli Matt” Nero, M.H., CSM.

A towering figure in local, regional, and international music, King Elli Matt’s name is etched permanently into the cultural history of the federation. As a ten-time Calypso Monarch and seven-time Road March Champion, he helped define an era of Kittitian and Nevisian music, entertainment, and national celebration.

The Official Thanksgiving Service will be held at the Newtown Playing Field. Opening tributes will begin at 12:00 noon, with the service scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. Interment will follow at the Springfield Cemetery.

For generations of fans, fellow artistes, musicians, calypso lovers, and cultural advocates, the farewell to King Elli Matt will be more than a funeral. It will be a national salute to a musical pioneer whose voice, performances, and creativity became part of the soundtrack of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Dennis Delaney-Richards to Be Remembered on Friday

On Friday, June 12, 2026, family, friends, colleagues, students, cultural practitioners, and members of the wider community will gather to say farewell to Dennis Leroy Delaney-Richards, CSM.

Delaney-Richards was widely known as a cultural artist and educator, and also served as a lecturer at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College. His contributions reflected a deep connection to the arts, learning, national identity, and the development of young minds.

His Thanksgiving Service will be held at the St. George’s Anglican Church. Viewing of the body will begin at 1:00 p.m., with the service scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Interment will take place at the Springfield Cemetery.

His passing has been felt deeply among those who knew him through culture, education, and community life, and Friday’s service is expected to be a heartfelt tribute to a man who contributed meaningfully to the intellectual and cultural fabric of the nation.

Young Footballer and Banker Shervin King II to Be Laid to Rest on Saturday

The four-day period of farewell will conclude on Saturday, June 13, 2026, with the Thanksgiving Service for 21-year-old Shervin King II, also known as “Shekky.”

King, formerly of Lodge Project and later of Trinity Housing Development, was known as a young footballer and banker whose life and promise touched many around him.

His Thanksgiving Service will be held at the Mount Carmel Baptist Church, beginning at 12:30 p.m. The body can be viewed from 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at the Springfield Cemetery.

His farewell is expected to be especially emotional, as family, friends, teammates, colleagues, and members of the wider community gather to remember a young man whose life, talent, and potential were cherished by many.

Four Farewells, One Nation Reflecting

Over the next four days, the nation will move from one service to another, each representing a different chapter of national life.

Davis will be remembered by those who knew and loved him. King Elli Matt will be saluted as a musical giant and cultural legend. Delaney-Richards will be honoured as an artist, educator, and contributor to national development. King will be mourned as a young sportsman and professional whose journey touched hearts across communities.

Together, their farewells represent a powerful reminder of the many ways citizens contribute to the story of St. Kitts and Nevis — through music, culture, education, sport, family, service, and community.

As mourners prepare to gather at churches, playing fields, and gravesides, St. Kitts and Nevis enters a solemn period of remembrance, gratitude, and national reflection.