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Something extra - Lester Spaulding takes a wife

Published:Monday | July 19, 2010 | 12:00 AM
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Here they come: The happy groom, Joseph 'Aloysius' Lester Spaulding, chairman of the RJR Group and his bride, Dr Lindamarie 'LW' Koengeter following their wedding ceremony on Saturday.
From left: Bante Panawansa and Bante Dhammasiri, the bride, Dr Lindamarie 'LW' Koengeter, Allessandra Koengeter and Lester Spaulding. - Contributed photos
The newlyweds take the floor.
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Joseph 'Aloysius' Lester Spaulding, long-time bachelor and chairman of RJR, was married on the top deck of The Spirit of Washington in Washington, D.C. to Dr Lindamarie 'LW' Koengeter of the United States Foreign Service in a moving Buddhist ceremony in the sunny afternoon of Saturday, July 17.

The Venerable Maharagama Dhammasiri, Chief Sangha Nayaka of North America and President of the Washington Buddhist Vihara officiated, along with the Rev Russell Awkard, newly-wed husband of Ambassador Designate to Jamaica Pamela Bridgewater-Awkard.

LW was supported by her daughter Allessandra Koengeter-Johnston, an architectural student in England, and many of LW's friends from the US Foreign Service including Ambassador Pamela Bridgewater-Awkard and those who recently served with LW in Iraq. LW served in Jamaica at the US Embassy in the late 1980s.

An often rowdy contingent of Spaulding's family and friends - representing the Jamaican boating/fishing and media fraternities were there to see him properly married. His youthful looking mother Myrtle was accompanied by her daughters Clare and Herma, son Howard (wife Judy, sons Damien and Chad - with wife Jennifer and young daughter Sierra). Lester's sons Darren (wife Caronne children Janai and Sian) and Gavin escorted their father to the formal ceremony. Brother Howard and family rendered an arrangement in song as a toast. So popular was their presentation that an encore was immediately demanded.

Gary Allen, managing director of RJR led a strong delegation of friends from Jamaica who included Anthony Du Casse, Mr and Mrs Neville James, Mr and Mrs Granville Marsh, Mrs Sheryl Moo Sang, Mr and Mrs Richard McCreath, Mr (who wore bright yellow trousers) and Mrs David Moss and Oliver Clarke, who acted as MC. Mr and Mrs Bradley Johnson with daughter Jillian and Mrs Camile Johnson-Alexis were also in attendance.

After the trip around the Potomac on The Spirit of Washington, the wedding party and guests retired to the nearby Zanzibar nightclub, managed by Mr Spaulding's nephew Warren Green for an evening of music and libation.