National Hero Francine Jackson to Lie in State at Parliament Ahead of Official Funeral

National Hero Honourable Francine Jackson will lie in state at the House of Parliament, on Wednesday, 15 July, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., ahead of the official funeral at the Wesleyan Holiness Church, West Bay, on Friday, 17 July, 4:00 p.m.

The Cayman Islands Government will honour the Honourable Francine Jackson with an official funeral in recognition of her pioneering role as a suffragist, trailblazer and longstanding marriage officer, and the many decades of dedicated community service.

Mrs Jackson passed away peacefully on 5 July 2026. She was among the group known as the Phenomenal Four, along with Birdell Jackson, Ethel Cook-Bodden and Laurel Watler, who ran as candidates in the 1959 General Election, helping reshape the political and cultural landscape of the Cayman Islands.

She was awarded the Gold Medal of Merit in 2013 during the National Heroes Day celebrations before being designated a National Hero in 2025. Mrs Jackson and the late Honourable Sybil Ione McLaughlin were the only two National Heroes to have received the nation's highest honour during their lifetimes.

As a mark of respect, the Cayman Islands flag will be flown at half-mast on all government buildings, entities and schools during normal business hours, commencing Wednesday, 15 July at 9:00 a.m. and continuing through to the end of the day of the official funeral on Friday, 17 July.

Members of the public are invited to attend the Lying-In-State at the House of Parliament to pay their respects. Both the Lying-In-State and funeral will be livestreamed on the CIG YouTube channel and CIGTV cable channels.

To learn more, visit gov.ky/mrsfrancine