The country will say a final farewell to Bahamian hero William “Bill” Cartwright today in a state funeral at St. Gregory’s Anglican Church.

A number of government and Opposition MPs, politicians, family and friends are expected to attend the homegoing service for the man hailed as a freedom fighter and trailblazer.

A native of Long Island, Cartwright’s political activism shaped and figured prominently in the modern political history of The Bahamas.

He, along with the late Sir Henry Taylor and Cyril Stevenson formed the PLP back in 1953.

And in the Senate on Friday Government Leader in the upper chamber Senator Allyson Maynard-Gibson said Cartwright played an instrumental part in the country’s development.

“In the 1950s, he acted on what was stirring in his heart for quite some time to form a political party,” she said. “Can we imagine, what it would have meant for these three men, the honourable H M Taylor, the honourable William Cartwright and the honourable Cyril Stevenson to take the giant step back then to stand up to the status quo and form a political party, the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).

“If we said nothing else about Mr. Cartwright that alone would be sufficient.”

Cartwright dedicated 20 years to public life, serving seven years in the House of Assembly as the representative for Cat Island.

His professional life included his work as a realtor and as the publisher of a then popular magazine.

The funeral service begins at 11:00 a.m.