The Tribune

IT IS with a heavy heart and great sadness that the Boards and staff of Lyford Cay Foundation, Inc and The Canadian Lyford Cay Foundation note the passing of our longtime chairman and great friend, Manuel Jorge Cutillas, on Saturday, November 2, at his family’s home in Panama.

We extend our deepest condolences to his wife Rosa, their son, Jorge, their extended family and dear friends.

We hope they find some comfort in the knowledge that Mr Cutillas was — as the many other tributes being made to him attest — universally loved, respected and admired.

His countless contributions to the positive development of the Bahamas will forever be a part of this country’s history.

Mr Cutillas was especially passionate about empowering young Bahamians to pursue an education, whether at the College of The Bahamas or abroad.

He always displayed the greatest sense of pride in the Lyford Cay Scholars’ many talents, achievements and commitment to an honest and better life.

In recent years, Mr Cutillas championed the young students of FOCUS — the Foundations’ school enrichment initiative — whom he saw as being the future leaders of the country.

He particularly enjoyed visiting with the children and delighted in their progress, hunger for knowledge and respect for one another.

A true gentleman, Mr Cutillas was perhaps most well liked for his warmth and kindness, unwavering consideration of others, and remarkably unassuming nature.

These attributes, along with his tremendous work ethic, vast business experience and — not least — wonderful sense of humour, will be sorely missed.

With his can-do attitude and optimistic disposition, Mr Cutillas frequently acted as an anchor and inspiration to others during challenging times.

He had learnt early on how to overcome even the most daunting obstacles, and simply refused to give into them. Manuel Jorge Cutillas was born in Cuba on March 1, 1932, and was the great-great grandson of Don Facundo Bacardi, the founder of the Bacardi company.

Mr Cutillas left Cuba in 1960 after the Castro regime confiscated the family business, and chose to make the Bahamas his family home.

Having earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in 1955, Mr Cutillas began his career in Cuba four years later as an Assistant Distillery Superintendent at Bacardi.

He steadily rose within the company, becoming Chairman of the Board of Bacardi Ltd in 1997.

He retired from that position in 2000, but continued to serve as a Director of several Bacardi-Martini companies. He was also a Director of Grupo Televisa SA, Chairman of the University of Miami’s International Advisory Board, and a Fellow of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award World Fellowship.

Mr Cutillas joined the Board of Lyford Cay Foundation in 1990.

He became its President in 1996 and assumed the Chairmanship in 2002, after his great friend, Harry C Moore, Sr, stepped down to become Honorary Chairman. The opening of the Harry C Moore Library and Information Centre at the College of The Bahamas in 2011 was among Mr Cutillas’ proudest moments at the Foundations.

Mr Cutillas was deeply involved in and supported countless civic and philanthropic organisations, including many devoted to the preservation of the environment in his beloved adoptive country.

He was named the Honorary Mexican Consul to the Bahamas in 1979, and was Dean of the Honorary Consular Corps of The Bahamas at the time of his passing.

In 2000, he was also awarded an honorary Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Miami.

Mr Cutillas had many hobbies, including golfing and fishing. An avid boater, he was never happier than when being able to spend time with friends and family in the Exumas, which he called his favourite place in the world.

All of us at the Foundations will miss Mr Cutillas enormously, and will endeavour to forge ahead with the fulfillment of our mission, one that he believed in wholeheartedly and worked toward fulfilling every day.