Charles Maynard will be buried on Friday after a funeral at Christ Church Cathedral. Maynard died at 42.
He is from a political family. His father Andrew 'Dud' Maynard was the longest serving chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), and Charles grew up around politics. His uncle, Sir Clement Maynard, was deputy prime minister. His first cousin Allyson Maynard-Gibson is attorney general, a PLP senator and former MP for her party.
Charles Maynard was a PLP, the former deputy leader of the now defunct Coalition for Democratic Reform (CDR) and a Cabinet minister in the last Free National Movement (FNM) administration. He did all this in 42 years. He died in Abaco on the campaign trail trying to keep the seat Hubert Ingraham is resigning from on the FNM's side in the upcoming by-election. He died on the political battlefield.
Maynard decided to dedicate his life to public service. Many take great pleasure criticizing every action made by politicians. Some think they all are corrupt, dishonest. Some are. But many are not.
What we must respect about the decision made by people such as Maynard is that he was willing to make the sacrifice.
Speaking at a memorial service for Maynard at the FNM's Mackey Street headquarters yesterday Ingraham said that his former Cabinet colleague was dedicated.
"He was a talented, personable, enthusiastic, energetic, reliable, productive and a loyal FNM," he said.
"Charlie was a gifted addition to the FNM's ranks. We do not have now and could never have enough Charlies in our ranks. Indeed Charlies are very rare individuals."
Maynard was elected chairman of the FNM in May after he lost his Golden Isles seat in the general election and his party was voted out of office.
The Bahamas can only improve if its best and brightest sons and daughters offer themselves for public service. Simply complaining from the sidelines is not good enough if the desire of the next generation is to make their country better than they met it.
As Maynard is remembered today and at his funeral tomorrow, younger Bahamians should reflect on the decision he made to dedicate his life to public service. While it is possible to make contributions through civic organizations and being a good parent, people are needed to make laws, to run ministries, to think of new directions for the economy, to figure out reforms to the criminal justice system. We need thinkers and executers in our government.
Maynard tried. Whether you liked him or not, he tried. More of you should do so too.

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