Francois St Juste hailed as 'King of Radio' at funeral

Hundreds of mourners and people from the media fraternity gathered on Wednesday afternoon at the Sts Peter and Paul Catholic Church for the funeral of veteran broadcaster, Francois St Juste.

St Juste died on August 29 at the University Hospital of the West Indies after ailing for some time.

He was 60 years old.

The service began with a musical tribute from Duane Stephenson, followed by tributes from former Fame FM colleague and friend, Rosamund Brown; President of the Rotary Club of Kingston, Karsten Johnson; and General Manager of Television Jamaica and Radio Services at the RJRGLEANER Communications Group, Dr Claire Grant.

Grant hailed St Juste as the 'King of Radio' and credited him for re-engineering FAME FM and impacting radio's adaptability over the years. In fact, she shared that she is sure St Juste is "organising the heavenly party scene" right now.

She said St Juste changed lives, transformed passions and built careers. Grant described him as the consummate professional who, she said, had a "quiet mystical personality" and who epitomised the magic and mystery that is radio.

She shared that off air, St Juste was a shy man who "demonstrated no need for pomp and pageantry".

"So much of our memory of him at the RJRGLEANER Group is wrapped up in how he made us feel," she said

Former FAME colleague and broadcaster, Simone Clarke-Cooper presented the remembrance in which she described St Juste as a transformational figure, an agent of change and a rock for all who came in contact with him.

"He was able to move you from shaky ground to solid confidence even in the face of naysayers, never expecting anything in return but your success," she said. "We knew that even when he didn't have the answers, we had his ears and his doors were always open, literally and figuratively."

Sharing stories from her experience working with him and the lasting friendship that they developed from that, Clarke-Cooper said St Juste lived an inspirational life, and has left a legacy that lives on in people and media.

"He was love, he was light, he was a man of the people and for the people," she said.

St Juste's career began at FAME 95 FM as an announcer and presenter and lasted for 38 years.

He is survived by his siblings, Brian and Maya.

-Sashana Small 

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