Naman Shrestha
Among the dozens of victims who lost their lives inside the burning Grenfell Tower on June 17, 2017, was a 63-year-old man named Raymond Bernard. Despite him living on the 23rd floor, the flames and smoke managed to seep into his house and cause his demise. The entire disaster is explored in a Netflix documentary movie titled ‘Grenfell: Uncovered.’ It also features exclusive interviews with the survivors, officials, and loved ones of the victims, including Raymond’s two sisters, who talk about him and his life in detail.
Raymond “Moses” Bernard Had Been a Grenfell Resident For Over 30 Years
Born on May 22, 1954, in Peñal, Trinidad and Tobago, Raymond Herbert “Moses” Bernard was raised by a loving set of parents, who relocated to the United Kingdom for work. He was particularly close to his sisters, Bernadette and Jackie Bernard, who considered him their rock and protector. At the age of 15, he also arrived in West London, England, where he completed his schooling in Ladbroke Grove. Raymond then did an electrical apprenticeship at the House of Lords, which helped him work as an electrician at Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Westminster. In 1973, Raymond reportedly married the love of his life and went on to father a son named Julian Bertin and two daughters.
While he was an electrician by profession, he was passionate about music, the game of dominoes, and the West Indies cricket team. He was so much into music that he was also a one-time DJ as he ran a reggae sound system in nearby Shepherd’s Bush. Given his kind and compassionate nature, Raymond was highly respected in the community. As per Bernadette, he had a saying: “Life is too short. Try to love those around you, be happy, and enjoy the time we have on Earth, as life as we know it can be snatched at any time.” Accompanied by his King Charles spaniel named Marley, he had been battling severe arthritis before his passing. When the tragedy struck the Grenfell Tower, the 63-year-old man had been living on the 23rd floor of the residential building for more than three decades.
Raymond Died a Hero by Giving Shelter to Other Grenfell Residents During the Fire
On June 14, 2017, when fire broke out on the fourth floor of the Grenfell Tower, it was just a matter of a few minutes until the fire spread to higher floors of the residential building, putting the lives of all the residents at risk. In order to escape the flames and smoke, several residents left their flats and took shelter in flats on the higher floors. Raymond “Moses” Bernard resided on the 24th floor, so when several other residents, including Jessica Urbano Ramirez, Deborah Lamprell, Berkti Haftom, Biruk Haftom, and Hamid Kani, showed up at his door, he gave them refuge in his flat without any hesitation.
As the smoke seeped inside his house, 63-year-old Raymond and others gradually passed away one by one while waiting for help to arrive. He reportedly offered his bed to other residents while he sat on the floor with his dog, Marley. Leaving behind three grandchildren, Raymond was dubbed a hero by his family and friends for providing shelter to other people inside his flat. His tragic demise affected his beloved sister, Bernadette, significantly, as she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for some time after the disaster. During the final day of commemoration hearings at the public inquiry, she stated, “Death should have taken my brother naturally, he should not have been killed in this way…He did not deserve to die by suffocation, cyanide poisoning and ultimately burn until his remains are no more than 30% of who he was.”
Read More: Jessica Urbano Ramirez: Who Was She? How Did She Die?
