Clarke remembered as being gracious

Hilma Brown, who is affectionately called the 'Mother of The Gleaner,' worked as an editorial assistant. Coupled with her 43-year tenure, that meant that she was one of the company's historians. It also meant that she was a resource person to Oliver Clarke.

"I always got in the habit of walking with a piece of paper and pencil in case I run into him and he wants me to do something for him," she disclosed.

What Brown finds most memorable about Clarke was how gracious he was.

"He was always appreciative of what I did for him. He always said, "Thank you, Hilma, that was great work," whenever he sees me."

She also related that Clarke would never pass someone without greeting the person.

"Every time he sees me he would say, "Hello Hilma, how are you?"

One of her most memorable moments with Clarke was when he invited her to meet the descendants of the deCordova brothers who established The Gleaner in 1834.

"I thought that was pretty nice of him," she said.

Hilma Brown

Former Editorial Assistant, Gleaner