In a deeply moving ceremony marked by reverence, remembrance, and reflection, family members, friends, and dignitaries gathered at the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Monrovia on Saturday, April 5, 2025, to bid farewell to the Honorable Muriel Enid Best -- a devoted public servant, trailblazing diplomat, entrepreneur, caregiver, and devout Christian, who passed away peacefully at her Congo Town residence on March 10, at the age of 93.
The funeral service was officiated by the Rt. Reverend Dr. James B. Sellee, Bishop of the Episcopal Church of Liberia. Preaching from 2 Timothy 4:7-8, the bishop spoke on the theme, "Celebrating a Purpose-Filled Life," drawing on the scripture's profound testimony: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
His message was both a tribute and a call to those in attendance -- to live meaningfully, just as Muriel did.
"She lived a life that served others, that built a nation, that upheld truth and justice even in the face of tyranny," Bishop Sellee said. "She never wavered in her commitment to her family, to her faith, and to the values of honesty, service, and love."
Tears flowed freely as those closest to her reflected on a woman of quiet strength and unshakable resolve. Muriel's beloved brother, Mr. Kenneth Y. Best, her niece Maureen Sieh, and members of the Stewart family, were visibly emotional. To them and many others, she was more than a sister, aunt, mother -- she was a rock.
"We want to say, 'never mind' to Mr. Kenneth Best, Maureen Sieh, the Stewart family, and all who are grieving," said one of the mourners. "Your loss is our loss. Liberia has lost a jewel -- but her legacy lives on."
During the service, the Liberia Institute for Growing Patriotism, led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Olubanke King Akerele posthumously bestowed on Muriel the Judge Emma Shannon Walser Award. Judge Emma Shannon Walser was Liberia's first female Circuit Court Judge of Montserrado County. The posthumous award was followed by the congregation singing "The Lone Star Forever" and a stanza of the Liberian National Anthem.
Born on February 26, 1932, at Curran Memorial Lutheran Hospital in Harrisburg, Muriel was the eldest child of George Stanfield Best of Trinidad and Tobago and Lillian Porte Best, a proud descendant of Barbadian settlers. From her early years in Crozierville and Monrovia to her final days in Congo Town, Muriel's life was a tapestry woven with humility, strength, and unwavering faith.
She graduated from St. Teresa's Convent in 1952 and earned certification from the Eugenia Simpson Cooper School of Stenography, later pursuing advanced studies in New York. Muriel embarked on a storied diplomatic career, serving at the Liberian Consulate in New York and the Liberian Embassy in Washington, D.C., where she rose to the rank of Second Secretary.
"We called her Muriel 'Everlasting' Best," recalled Ambassador George Wallace. "She was efficient, committed, and a mentor to many of us. Her guidance shaped careers and emboldened young women in the foreign service."
Upon her return to Liberia in 1967, she helped establish Auriole Enterprises, Inc., which became a pioneering supplier of school uniforms across West Africa. But her most enduring legacy may lie in her quiet yet profound support for press freedom. It was Muriel who risked everything -- putting up her properties as collateral -- to help her brother, Kenneth Y. Best, and his wife, Mae Gene, launched the Daily Observer, Liberia's first independent newspaper, in 1980.
Through threats, arrests, and civil unrest, Muriel stood firm. She turned her home into a sanctuary for hunted activists like John H. T. Stewart and Conmany B. Wesseh during the aftermath of the 1979 rice riots. "She hid us under her bed," Wesseh wrote. "She saved our lives."
In The Gambia, when the Best family established the Daily Observer amidst the chaos of Liberia's civil war, Muriel was once again at the heart of their efforts. Even under house arrest by the Yaya Jammeh regime, her spirit remained unbroken.
Though Muriel never had any biological children, she raised and mentored generations. From quietly paying tuition fees to offering love and shelter, she mothered many -- her sister Sybil's (Sieh) five children, her other sister Genevieve's (Dorbor) children, and numerous grandchildren who adored her.
"From third grade through Cuttington University, she paid my tuition," recalled her niece Maureen Sieh, holding back tears. "It was never short, never late, and I was never sent home for school fees. Her message was always: 'This is your life -- make something of it."'
Muriel was there for graduations, school competitions, music lessons, and the simple, sacred moments of daily life, her nieces and nephews recalled. Her grandchildren -- Jevan, Jayla, Jonas, Theo, Xiva, Zylani -- knew her as "Grandma," but to many in Liberia and abroad, she was a mother figure, a counselor, a quiet hero.
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Following the funeral mass, a procession led to Christ Episcopal Church cemetery in Crozierville, Montserrado County, where Muriel was laid to rest beside her predeceased parents and siblings: Sybil Sieh (Aloysius), Beryl Brewer (Charles), Genevieve Dorbor (J. Mamadee), Canon Burgess Carr (Frances), and Kelvyn Best (Cecelia).
She is survived by her brothers, Kenneth Y. Best (Mae Gene) and Keith Neville A. Best; her sister, Ina D. King; and a host of nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and other relatives and friends in Liberia and abroad.
Her passing marks the end of an era -- but her life remains a testimony to love, resilience, and service.
As the cathedral bells tolled and her casket was slowly wheeled away, there was silence -- not of sorrow alone, but of reverence. Liberia saluted a daughter who gave her all and asked for nothing in return.
Rest in peace, Honorable Muriel Enid Best. You have finished the race. You have kept the faith. And your legacy will never die.
