There are some people whose lives stretch far beyond their physical years, people who do not simply live history, but help to write it, explain it, archive it, and translate it for the next generation. Sir Lionel Alexander “Max” Hurst, KCN, is one such man.

I learned this years ago, sitting beside him as a pew-buddy on a quiet Sunday morning at the Bethel Anglican Church.  Somewhere between the hymn and the homily, he would whisper a date, or a story, or a name that would send me down a rabbit hole later.

Four years ago, I attempted to write a simple Time Capsule piece about him. Three minutes in, that plan collapsed in the most Max-like way possible, into Antigua and Barbuda’s history at the UN, then a discussion on Point and Villa in the 1950s, then a tangent on why Shakespeare and Chaucer still matter, then a story about diplomatic strategy in the 1990s, then a mischievous aside involving a steel band, a politician, an ashum from Townsend’s Shop, and then, because this is Max, a good session about some fine lady and the powers of being in ‘tip-top shape’.

That is the magic of Max. You go looking for one story and end up with ten. All relevant, all fascinating, all Antigua & Barbuda relevant

The Point Boy Who Would One Day Represent a Nation

Many know him as the diplomat, the scholar, the government spokesman, the political philosopher, the author, the legal mind.

Fewer know, or remember, that Lionel “Red Max” Hurst is a Point and Villa boy, born on North Street, in the days when sugar cane was still king, and Antigua stood at the back door of British colonialism.

His roots run deep in the neighbourhood: his grandmother, Ms. Avis Jarvis, on Bishopgate Street; his cousins Keith and Ivor at the corner of Back Street and Bryson Street; his father, Lionel Hurst Sr., a parliamentarian, community figure, and an early defender of steelband and calypso when both art forms were nearly squeezed out of existence.

The nickname “Red Max” trimmed to the iconic “Max” was earned in childhood, and its origin, as he tells it, is a story all on its own. In his exact words: “I was called ‘Red Max’ because my friends believed that I approximated in looks an albino chap; his name was appropriated and a sobriquet added for emphasis. Max was an adult whose pink skin and yellow hair gave testimony to shared similarities and nature’s wild choices. Max, the real one, was a tenor. He sang beautifully at the Moravian Church, one block away from the funeral home, and the venue of my first formal schooling, The Moravian Primary School.”

Tall (towering, really), unmistakable, gentle, keenly observant, and already intellectually curious—his early years shaped the man he would become.

Scholar • Academic with a Sly Smile

Max began his schooling at Spring Gardens Moravian Infant School, then moved on to St. John’s Boys School, and finally to the Antigua Grammar School.

He downplays his brilliance. Always has.

He famously passed math in an exam when no one else did and then spent years insisting that this was not evidence of greatness, just good fortune. But his subjects told the truth: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, English language, English literature, he excelled in all.

And he carried two loves from those classrooms for life: science and storytelling. He adored Shakespeare and Chaucer, just as deeply as he later explored political theory and constitutional principles.

After completing studies abroad, including political science at Brooklyn College (CUNY), an MBA at Long Island University, and a Juris Doctor from New York Law School, Max earned admission to the Bars of New York, New Jersey, and Florida.

The Social Butterfly, Never the Athlete

Max was never an athlete. He will tell you this himself. He was a lover of people.  The consummate spectator, he gravitated toward anything that allowed him to be part of the community: football, cricket, village events, cultural activities, calypso. Yes, wrote and tried a bit at performing calypsos, long before diplomacy came calling.

His communal spirit is legendary.

The Diplomat Who Defended a Small Nation on The World Stage

His diplomatic journey:

• Trade & Investment Officer (1985)

• First Secretary, Embassy of Antigua & Barbuda, Washington DC (1985–86)

• Director, Trade Mission, Miami (1986)

• Consul, Miami (1987–88)

• Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1988–1995)

• Ambassador to the United States & Head of Mission to the OAS (1996–2003)

At the UN, he chaired key committees and represented Antigua and Barbuda during pivotal General Assembly sessions.

In Washington, he organized the diaspora in a way never seen before: village groups, singing groups, cultural societies, and the revival of the Antigua and Barbuda Progressive Society. He created connections where there had been fragmentation, community where there had been dispersal.

His diplomacy was not only international. It was deeply human.

The Knighting of A Statesman

In November 2025, the nation formally honoured him. Sir Lionel ‘Max’ Hurst was named a Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation (KCN). The official citation reads: “Ambassador Lionel A. Hurst, Esq. has dedicated a lifetime to the advancement and representation of Antigua and Barbuda, distinguishing himself as a diplomat, legal expert, scholar, media personality, and national advisor… advocating for Antigua and Barbuda’s political and economic interests before the U.S. government, the World Bank, and other international institutions.”

A knighthood befitting a lifetime of service.

Author • Chronicler • Protector of Memories

Max’s bibliography is as formidable as his diplomatic résumé.  He is a walking memory bank, full of facts and stories, and more importantly, context.

Among his works are:

• Vere Cornwall Bird: When Power Failed to Corrupt

• Democracy by Diplomacy

• Luther George: The Obama of Antigua and Barbuda

• The Comeback Kid: Autobiography of Sir Lester (In Conversation with Hurst)

He has also written constitutions for the AT&LU and the ALP and is a constant contributor to national thought.

Where most of us see an event, Max sees a story, a lesson, and a link to the past.

The Legend of Hurst First

No tribute to Sir Lionel would be complete without mentioning Hurst First, the 1980 Volkswagen Jetta that has accompanied him through nearly all his adult life, bought in New York during his student years, shipped to every diplomatic post, driven across continents, and at home in Antigua. I never did confirm if it touched the streets of Barbuda.

Hurst First is not a symbol of wealth, but of constancy. Not image, but identity. Not prestige, but the stubborn loyalty of a man who knows exactly who he is.

The Man of the ABLP

Max’s commitment to the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party spans decades.  Grounded in philosophy, historical understanding, and the belief that political institutions should serve the people, be shaped by ideas, and be led by good men and women.

He continues to serve the party with intellectual clarity and singular focus.

Mentor and Pew-Buddy

To me, the best part of Sir Lionel Hurst is not his résumé. It is his generosity with knowledge. He will answer your questions. If he doesn’t know the answer, he knows who does.

And if neither of those paths exists, he will point you to the right book, the right archive, the right person, or the right memory.

Every Sunday I sit beside him I learn something new.  Each conversation leads somewhere unexpected.

He is a statesman, yes. A historian, absolutely. A loyalist, certainly. But more than anything, he is a keeper of stories, our stories.

The Legacy of Sir Lionel “Max” Hurst, KCN

Even with diplomas, awards, ambassadorships, legal qualifications, and now a knighthood, Max remains grounded in the values he learned in Point and Villa. His sister Ivy is his treasure and constant companion, he keeps in touch with his colleagues from youthful days, and he is an advocate, a shelter in ‘times of storm’ for many.  He is an avid supporter of The Arts and a proponent for the preservation of our culture.

For Max, Point and Villa were never just places. They were the beginning of everything.

From North Street to the United Nations, from the Point to the halls of Washington, from a curious boy to a knighted statesman, Sir Lionel Max Hurst’s life is a testament to service, memory, and unwavering devotion to his country.

He is one of the few whose contributions span: diplomacy, law, literature, public service, party philosophy, diaspora organization, community memory, national historian and storyteller.

He is, in every sense, a national treasure. And Antigua and Barbuda’s story is infinitely richer because he helped to tell it.

Minted December 4, 1950, celebrating you, seventy-five years on!!