'Cobra' Gaynor: honest, disciplined, kind, dedicated

Tributes flow for national defender at funeral

Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

Honest, disciplined, kind and dedicated were some of the words used by mourners to describe former national defender, Barrington 'Cobra' Gaynor, at his funeral at the Pentecostal Tabernacle on Wildman Street in Kingston yesterday.

The mourners included his wife, Nyoka, daughters, Shanice and Jhaunelle, along with president of the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) and former Prime Minister, Edward Seaga, and Carvel Stewart, vice-chairman of the PLCA, Rudolph Speid, president of the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) and many other members of the football fraternity.

Gaynor, 45, died on March 19 after a long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, at the Westchester Medical Centre in the United States.

Seaga, in remembering Gaynor, told the gathering that he will be sadly missed.

"I offer my sympathies on behalf of the organisation that I represent for a man who departed this life on the 19th of March and left behind so many wonderful memories for us to recall," said Seaga.

"May those memories be cherished and be of comfort to his family as they recall those memories that he gave to them during his time with us," he said.

Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, Minister of Sports, in paying tribute to Gaynor - which was read by her adviser Ali McNab as she was unable to attend, described Gaynor as a wonderful human being.

He lived an exemplary life

"Cobra has left a legacy that can be proudly emulated by any youngster across Jamaica," said Grange.

"As a student he lived an exemplary life on and off the field during his days at Camperdown High. The all-conquering Camperdown football team in 1982 of which he was regarded as an inspirational player and that is still talked about today.

"The workmanlike attitude and leadership qualities that he brought to Bull Bay and Harbour View and to the national team also testify to his life," Grange said.

Stewart, who is the president of Harbour View Football Club, a club which Gaynor represented both as a player and coach, said he was a great person both on and off the field.

"Cobra was really an outstanding human being and he was benevolent in many ways, kind and generous," said Stewart.

"He was an outstanding football player as we all know and he also became a very good coach because he has coached championship-winning teams at Bull Bay and he was also a very good family man to his wife and two daughters," Stewart.

Howard McIntosh, who gave tribute on behalf of the Jamaica Football Federation, said: "Cobra was a good man because when you want a solider in your army then you think about Cobra.

"Jamaica has really lost a good man and he will be sadly missed by all in the football fraternity," he added.

Never-say-die attitude

As one of the top defenders on the national team, Premier League, Major League and at Camperdown High, Gaynor was remembered by many of his former teammates for his never-say-die attitude on and off the field of play.

"He was gentle and always dedicated himself to anything that he is doing to the best of his abilities," said Andrew 'Bower' Hines, who was a teammate of Gaynor on Camperdown High School team which won the Triple Crown in 1982 - the urban-area Manning and Walker Cup (KO) titles and the all-island Olivier Shield, as well as the national senior team and Harbour View.

Gaynor's most notable accomplishments as an international player was being a member of the Jamaica teams which won the Shell Caribbean Cup in 1991 and placed third at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 1993.

There were also tributes by Little Fork Early Childhood Institution, which his daughter Jhaunelle attends; Camperdown High and former national technical director and head coach, Carl Brown.