By Val Matthias. Updated 1:24 p.m., Thursday, August 27, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
An official funeral will be accorded to former North Leeward Member of Parliament Alpian R. Allen on Wednesday, September 2, with flags throughout the state to be flown at half-mast as a mark of respect.
The announcement was made in a public notice issued by the Office of the Prime Minister, dated August 25. Mr. Allen, a former parliamentarian and government minister, died on August 18. The official observances will begin with a viewing of the body at the temporary Parliament Building in Calliaqua.
Officials and dignitaries will be invited to pay their respects between 9am and 10am, followed by a public viewing from 10am until 11am. The funeral service will take place at the Kingstown Methodist Church at 2pm.
There will be a further viewing at the church for officials from noon until 1pm. The general public will then have an opportunity to view the body and offer open tributes between 1pm and 2pm. Mr. Allen will be buried at the Kingstown Cemetery.
The government says people attending the official viewing are requested to be properly attired.
The decision to accord Mr. Allen an official funeral comes after a career in public service that included more than a decade as parliamentary representative for North Leeward.
Official records from the House of Assembly show that he represented the constituency from 1989 to 2001. During that period, he served as Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Health and the Environment before holding several senior ministerial positions.
He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism and later held responsibility for Foreign Affairs, Tourism and Information. His final ministerial post was Minister of Education, Culture and Women’s Affairs.
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