Clarke helped people anonymously

Several persons, particularly young people, have received financial help from Oliver Clarke without having a clue who their benefactor was.

Clarke had a soft heart that was also large - very large. He was always willing to help those in need but was never into the fanfare when it comes to extending a helping hand.

Deanna Williams, who worked as secretary to Clarke for 40 years, pointed out that Clarke often chose to go incognito when assisting persons.

"He was modest. He did so much for organisations and people anonymously.

"The UWI mentorship programme was very important to him. He had quite a few mentees who he helped and would point them in the direction of getting a job,? she disclosed.

She related how Clarke undertook a project over a period of about 10 years to print and distribute textbooks in primary schools so that every child, five years or older, could have access to free books.

One of Clarke's main personality traits that stood out for Williams was how much a stickler for time he was.

"Time was very important to him. He was punctual and expects persons to turn up on time for meetings. If a meeting is at eight, he?s not expecting you to come two past eight. He expects you to be on time. These meetings were to the point and without fluff, and people like that. He was super organised.

"He was very fair. He listened to the two sides of the story before making a decision," she added.

She pointed out that an achievement of Clarke in the 1970s earned him the moniker ?The Four Million Dollar Man?.

"He pulled everything together when The Gleaner was faced with foreclosure. He saved The Gleaner. A cartoon was done of him, depicting him as such," she said.

Outside of his corporate life, Williams shared that Clarke was a true family man.

"He loved his wife and daughter. His nieces and nephews were of paramount importance to him.

"He was successful and loved by a lot of persons both here and overseas. I enjoyed working for him. We always got along well,? she expressed.

Deanna Williams

Former Secretary, Gleaner