Those who left us in 2022 - Pt 2

As the country began recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jamaicans mourned the deaths of dozens of exemplary individuals who departed throughout 2022. Among those who left us were cherished broadcasters, sportsmen and women, entertainers, theatre practitioners, stellar public servants, members of the business community, promising youths, and a supercentenarian. Let us reflect on the contributions of our Jamaicans who served well and have left behind rich legacies.

16. Ricky Walters

Legendary reggae group, Fab 5, mourned the loss of guitarist Ricky Walters who died while

battling cancer. He was 66. Walters was a member of the group from 1976 to 1992, before

migrating to Florida. The guitarist and bassist wrote the hit ballad Asking for Love in 1978.

Walters was lauded as a great all-round musician, who sang lead and back-up, wrote and

arranged music.

17. Dr. Richard Kirkwood

Dr. Richard Kirkwood, a member of Casual-T, the ‘80s singing group comprising medical

doctors, died on March 2 in New York. He was 76. He had recently retired and was diagnosed

with colon cancer in August 2021. Kirkwood, who had performed with bands like Bare

Essentials and the Presidents, met Leonard Miller, Audley Betton, and Roberts while they were

all medical students at the Mona campus of The University of the West Indies, and they formed

Casual-T in 1979. Casual-T had a big hit with the song Let’s Hold On.

18. Denroy Morgan

Jamaican reggae icon Denroy Morgan died in Atlanta, Georgia after a brief illness on March 2.

He was 76. The hitmaker who topped the international charts in 1981 with his smash single, I’ll

Do Anything for You, was the father of 30 children, with over 120 grandchildren. His musical

and spiritual shepherding of his family members led to the creation of the Grammy

award-winning group, Morgan Heritage. Three generations of Morgans have produced hit

records over the years. Morgan was a bishop at the Abrahamic Covenant Family Ministry

Church and was passionate about the legalisation of marijuana.

19. Christopher McFarlane

Award-winning actor Christopher McFarlane, known for his roles in films, such as Ghett’a Life

and Better Mus’ Come, closed the curtains on September 10. McFarlane was nominated for an

Actor Boy Award for his work in An Echo In the Bone and received several other Actor Boy

nominations and two awards including best supporting actor for his performance in Who God

Bless by Basil Dawkins, as well as best actor in a lead role for his performance in A Tempest.

SPORTS

20. Christopher Armond

Armond, the horse-racing commentator who excited spectators with his booming voice at

Caymanas Park for a decade, died on May 11 at 66 years old. Deeply rooted in horse racing,

Armond first worked at Caymanas Park in the early 1970s at the feet of his father. In 2017, he

was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Thoroughbred Racing and retired as Supreme Ventures

Racing and Entertainment Limited’s director of racing in December 2020. Armond has been

idolised for his colourful racing commentary and is known for his rollercoaster journey in racing

administration, primarily with tackling illegal betting.

21. Dennis ‘Den Den’ Hutchinson

Hutchinson, a legendary schoolboy footballer, died on June 1 after a prolonged illness. The

outstanding basketball coach, who led Tivoli All Stars to five straight national titles, was 63 years

old. Hutchinson was also a key member of the 1977 Clarendon College team, along with

Lenworth Hyde, that won the Oliver Shield and dominated local schoolboy football.

22. George Forbes

Forbes, a former Inter-Secondary School Sports Association (ISSA) competitions officer, died on

November 8 after a long battle with an illness. He was 63. The highly regarded sports

administrator served ISSA for 18 years. For almost two decades, Forbes was the face of ISSA

and the main source of contact when seeking information regarding high school sports matters.

Forbes demitted office in January 2020.

SENIORS

23. Louisea McDonald

On September 3, Jamaica’s oldest resident, who lived in the rural community of Bog Hole in

northern Clarendon, died at age 111. The supercentenarian, who was affectionately called

Mama Lou, was a retired dressmaker. She was a mother to 10 children, three of whom

predeceased her, and over 100 grandchildren. Mama Lou was lauded as a loving mother-figure

to many in Bog Hole.

24. Albert Jarrett

Albert Jarrett, a World War II veteran from Hanover, enlisted at the age of 17 in Jamaica before

being sent in convoys of recruits from the Caribbean to England in 1942 during the war. Jarrett,

who lived in Shard End, passed away on August 2 following a short illness. He was 98. He was

a popular figure in Birmingham, being a trustee of the online educational forum called ‘The

Forgotten Generations’ founded by fellow RAF veteran Donald Campbell, to shine a light on the

many men and women from African and Caribbean countries who served in the British armed

forces.

25. Dorothy Peart

World War II veteran Dorothy Peart served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1941 to 1946

under Britain’s Women’s Auxiliary Air Force where she was stationed underground at the RAF

Headquarters in Stanmore, London. At the time of her passing on November 30, the

101-year-old was the second longest-living World War II female veteran. She settled in

Manchester after the war with her husband and eldest child, Michael in 1949.

CHILDREN AND YOUTH

26. Scot Bamburry

Bamburry, a Clarendon car washer, came to national attention in May 2021 when he revealed to

THE STAR his unfulfilled ambitions of becoming a stevedore. A 2008 graduate of Caribbean

Maritime Institute with a diploma in international shipping and logistics, he secured a job in the

shipping industry after the story was published. His dream turned into a nightmare as a year

later, he fell overboard while working on a cargo ship at the wharf at Berth 8 of the Port of

Kingston on the night of July 13. The Kingston Wharves stevedore was 39.

27. Khalif Lawrence

Khalif Lawrence, the nine-year-old son of deejay Sheldon “Aidonia” Lawrence and his wife

Kimberley, died in hospital on December 3. The youngster was diagnosed with cancer in August

2019 and lost his battle after three years. Khalif was the couple’s only child.

PUBLIC SERVICE

28. Edley Lopez Deans

Deans, whose parliamentary career spanned more than six decades, died on August 27 .The

former Clerk to the Houses of Parliament was appointed assistant clerk in 1956, before moving

up to deputy clerk in 1968. He served in that capacity until 1978, the year he was appointed

clerk. He retired in 1994 and returned to serve as consultant on parliamentary practice and

procedure until 2002. In 1982, the Government of Jamaica awarded Deans the Order of

Distinction, in the rank of Commander, for his services to the Parliament.

29. Wesley James

Wesley James, a retired Supreme Court Judge, died at 85 years old on June 17. He is

remembered as non-contentious, solution-oriented and one who listened carefully. James had a

very long and distinguished career in the justice system, moving up the ranks from assistant

clerk of the courts, clerk of the courts and then Crown Counsel in the Office of the Director of

Public Prosecutions. He was later appointed a Resident Magistrate and next appointed to the

Supreme Court in 1995, where he retired in 2006. James also served as chairman of the

FINSAC Commission of Enquiry, charged with determining the causes of the financial sector

meltdown in the 1990’s.

30. Francis Tulloch

Former tourism minister and attorney-at-law, Francis Tulloch, passed away on June 23. He was

81. He was first elected to Parliament in 1972 and represented the St. James Central

constituency from 1976 to 1980 for the People’s National Party. He also served Hanover

Eastern from 1993 to 1997 and St James North Western from 1997 to 2002. Tulloch was

appointed Minister of Tourism in 1997 and served in that capacity under the P.J. Patterson-led

administration for two years. Tulloch was hailed as a tourism stalwart who was committed to

safeguarding the interest of small entrepreneurs in the tourism industry, including players in the

ground transportation and craft sub-sectors.

31. Charmaine Rose Anderson

Deputy executive director of the Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB) Charmaine Rose Anderson died

in November. The bureau said Rose Anderson’s service to the government agency was

impactful. She was remembered for her warm spirit, endearing smile, and vivacious personality.

POLITICS

32. Lenworth Rawle

Deputy Mayor of Morant Bay, Councillor Lenworth Rawle, died on October 31 in New York.

Rawle was serving his fourth term in the Trinityville Division and was remembered as one who

was dedicated to local government. He served as deputy mayor from 2007 to 2012, as mayor

from 2016 to 2018 and then as deputy mayor until the time of his untimely demise.

33. Russell Hammond

Former Jamaica Labour Party Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Central, Russell

Hammond, died on December 2. His stint in parliament as a member of the governing JLP was

in the 1980s. In 1995 he became a founding member of the National Democratic Movement

(NDM), founded by Bruce Golding. He contested the 1997 election on that party’s ticket, but like

all the other candidates for the NDM, lost his bid to return to parliament. He was also the

managing director of Hammond’s Pastry Place in Westmoreland.

DIASPORA

34. Paulette Bradnock

Bradnock, the chief audit executive at the Bank of New York Mellon, died from COVID-19

complications on her birthday while on a visit to Jamaica in September. Attempts to airlift her to

the United States for treatment did not materialise and she succumbed at the Kingston Public

Hospital. She was described by banking trade publication, American Banker, as one of the most

powerful women to watch in American banking and hailed as an innovator who reimagined all

aspects of the audit cycle. The 62-year-old resided in Ardsley, New York, where she was also a

social activist.

35. Dr. Mavis Burke

Mavis Burke, who was known as a champion of early childhood education in Jamaica, died on

July 7. She was 93 years old. The Jamaican-born educator established Women for PACE

Canada in 1987, an organization focused on enhancing the overall development of young

children, ages three to six, in Jamaica and Canada. Burke was conferred with the Order of

Distinction (Officer Class) in 2004 and was awarded the Prime Minister of Jamaica’s Medal of

Appreciation for service to education in 2017.

36. Mona Hammond

Jamaican-born British actress Mona Hammond died at 91 on July 4. She won praises for setting

the stage and pioneering the world of theatre arts for black actors. Hammond was best known

for playing the role of Blossom Jackson in the BBC soap EastEnders, which premiered in 1985.

She began the role in 1994, remaining there until 1997 and returned in 2010. In 2005, the British

actress received the Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in

recognition of her contributions to drama in the United Kingdom.

37. Carmen Clarke

Carmen Clarke, a former administrator for the National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards, died on December 17, 2022 .

Clarke was the administrator of the awards event when it was sponsored by Carreras and continued in that role for a few years under the RJRGLEANER Sports Foundation.

“Carmen was a competent and committed administrator who was a consistent guest of the Foundation at numerous events long after she worked with the Foundation,” a statement from the Foundation said.

“We pay tribute to her for her valuable contribution to the recognition of excellence in sports and express our sympathies to her family and friends at this challenging time,” the statement said.

38. Merrick Needham

Protocol and logistics expert Colonel Merrick Needham, died on Thursday, December 29 at The University Hospital of the West Indies from an undisclosed illness. In 2018, he created history when he became the first Jamaican to receive an honorary commission from the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) in recognition of his participation in numerous military activities and support for decades.

Needham, who held numerous honours, including the Order of Distinction (Commander Class), was a key figure at national events.

In a tribute to the revered protocol and ceremonial consultant, Prime Minister Andrew Holness hailed Needham as a “passionate Jamaican nationalist” with a reservoir of knowledge, which he generously shared.