Farewell to Jerry - Montegonians defy heavy rains to pay tribute to sporting giant Jerry Reid

Western Bureau:

Despite the heavy rains that lashed Montego Bay on Sunday, residents turned out in large numbers to pay their last respects to iconic St James sporting personality Jeremiah ‘Jerry’ Reid during a tribute-laden funeral service at the King’s Seventh-day Adventist Church in Mount Salem.

Reid, whose contributions to sports at the parish level spanned multiple disciplines, including cricket, football, athletics, volleyball, and swimming, made his mark as a player, coach, mentor, and administrator.

He represented Jamaica in cricket in 1963, and in later years, coached the Jamaica Under-19 cricket team, which created history in 1990 when it won the island’s first West Indies Under-19 cricket title.

“To understand Jerry Reid is to understand service to youth,” said Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Heroy Clarke, who was coached by Reid while representing Cornwall College in cricket in the early 1980s.

“He was a father figure not only to me but to generations of youngsters throughout the western parishes and St James in particular. If you were wayward, he corrected you. If you were talented, he pushed you. If you were down, he lifted you up. He saw potential in us long before we saw it in ourselves,” added Clarke, who is also the member of Parliament for St James Central.

Clarke, who later went on to be Reid’s teammate representing St James, said they became very close over the next 40-plus years as Reid evolved into a dependable friend, trusted adviser, and confidant.

“He was a man who could scold you in one breath and have you doubled over with laughter in the next. That was the magic of Uncle Jerry. No nonsense, yet comical. Stern, yet so full of love. He demanded excellence on the field, but off the field, he gave fatherly counsel to any youngster who needed it,” added Clarke.

It was, therefore, no surprise when Clarke, responding to a request from an earlier speaker for the Albion playing field to be renamed the Jerry Reid Playing Field, said he would take the idea on board and speak with the relevant authorities about making it a reality.

Rich tributes also flowed from the St James Cricket Association, Montego Bay Masters, the Ministry of Labour, and the Montego Bay Cricket Club, where Reid served for many years as a player and coach and was on the club’s roster as a vice-president at the time of his death at age 82.

“He was the consummate professional who touched many lives in so many profound ways,” said Cleveland Blake, who represented the St James Cricket Association. “He left the world a better place than he saw it.”

Reid’s impact on his family was also highlighted, especially in the eulogy delivered by his granddaughter, Ariana Dias, who provided insight into the quality time he devoted to his family and the cherished moments spent away from the sporting limelight.

In arguably one of the most touching moments of the just over three-hour service, which was also interspersed with beautiful musical items, each staff member of the Ministry of Labour held a white rose, which was used to create a bouquet after their presentation. The bouquet was then presented to Reid’s wife, who sat with family members in the church’s front row.

Pastor Norman Thompson, who delivered the homily, described the occasion as more like a convention than a funeral because of the turnout. He acknowledged Reid’s role as a nation-builder through his contributions to sports and other facets of life.

“Brother Jerry love Jesus, and he died serving Jesus,” he said, referencing Reid’s embrace of the Christian faith. “The Bible teaches us that happy is the dead who dies in Christ.”

Reid, who rose from humble beginnings in the low-income Barnett Lane community of Montego Bay and attained a level of excellence that earned him a Governor-General’s Achievement Award, was interred at Dovecot Memorial Park in St James.

adrian.frater@gleanerjm.com