Bunny Grant to be buried on December 1

Funeral arrangements have been finalised for Bunny Grant, the former Jamaica and Commonwealth lightweight boxing champion, who died on November 1. A thanksgiving service for his life will be held at the Holy Cross Church, 77 Half-Way Tree Road, in St Andrew, at 10.30 a.m. on Saturday, December 1, and he will be buried afterwards at the Dovecot Memorial Park.

Grant is regarded as one of the finest boxers Jamaica has produced and was the trailblazer for future Jamaican champions. He gave Jamaica an outstanding gift for Independence when he dethroned Dave Charnley for his Commonwealth title on August 4, 1962, at the then recently built National Stadium. It was the first major event to take place there.

Grant was lightweight and welterweight champion of Jamaica at a time when boxers were allowed to simultaneously hold titles in different weight classes. He was also crowned Central American light welterweight champion in 1961 and Latin American junior welterweight champion in 1965. He did not make it to a world title, however, as he was defeated by Eddie Perkins on April 18, 1964, when he challenged him for the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association Super Lightweight titles. He later avenged that defeat in a non-title fight in 1970.

Grant was awarded the Order of Distinction (Officer Class) in 2005 and the Order of Distinction (Commander Class) in 2013 by the Government of Jamaica for his services to sport.