THE LONGEST serving member of the Shipping Association of Jamaica's (SAJ) managing committee, Hylton Clarke, died on Monday, November 10, after being hospitalised for a short period.
Mr. Clarke was vice-chairman of the SAJ in 1984 and has dedicated more than 40 years of his life to the shipping industry. At the time of his death, he was chairman of the Maritime and Transport Group of Companies, which comprises Maritime Transport Services Limited; A E Parnell and Company Limited; Maritime Towing Company Limited; Maritime General Insurance Brokers Limited; Seaports Equipment Limited; R S Gamble (1998) Limited and Arnold L Malabre and Company Limited.
He was also chairman of Amalgamated Stevedores Limited and a director of APM Terminals Jamaica Limited, the management company for the Kingston Container Terminal. Mr. Clarke started out in shipping in the early 1960s as a timekeeper and he swiftly moved through the ranks to become the owner of major shipping-related businesses. Over the years, he acquired and established several companies under the Maritime Group.
In a statement released by the SAJ president, Harry Maragh, last week, Mr. Clarke was described as a stalwart who made 'a sterling contribution to the development of the local maritime industry' and dedicated more than 40 years of his life to the sector.
RESPECTED AND WELL-LOVED
Mr. Maragh paid homage to Mr. Clarke's service as an active member of the SAJ managing committee for 26 years and his work at the subcommittee level on the association's Agents and Industrial Relations committees.
He said: "While serving on the Joint Industrial Council (JIC) for port Bustamante, Mr. Clarke was instrumental in maintaining good industrial relations on the port of Kingston by leading the labour negotiations on behalf of the SAJ and settling a contract to support the progress of the Port of Kingston during 1984." Mr. Clarke was respected, well-loved and admired by all and was highly regarded for his determination and selflessness. He was recognised by his colleagues in 1992 for his invaluable and outstanding contribution to the development of the shipping industry. He was declared the 'Shipping Industry Personality of Year 1992'. Mr. Maragh expressed condolences to Mr. Clarke's family and friends as well as his business associates and colleagues, noting, "his legacy and contribution to the maritime sector will long be remembered." "The Shipping Association of Jamaica and the wider port community are saddened at the recent passing of SAJ's longest-serving board member and former vice-chairman," he said.
Mr. Clarke was 72. He is survived by widow, Dorothy and son, Kim, who is also a member of the SAJ managing committee.
