JACKIE HENDRIKS, president of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), said Rae's death is "unquestionably the end of an era in Jamaica and West Indies cricket".
"He dedicated his life to the game and no man whoever played cricket have had more love and respect for the game and all it stood for," said Hendriks in a press release yesterday.
Hendriks, a former West Indies player, remembered Rae, both as a player and an administrator who was "determined to ensure that the integrity of the game was not violated and this infected most of those whom he came in contact with".
Hendriks went on to describe Rae as "a hard task-master", saying "he nevertheless derived particular pride and pleasure from the success of young players and won their respect and admiration."
Rae played for the West Indies on the tours to India 1948/49, England 1950 and Australia 1951/52. The sensational tour of England was the one that inspired the Cricket Calypso 'Cricket, Lovely Cricket' (with the refrain 'Ramadhin and Valentine') in the verses of which his name is enshrined.
He averaged a respectable 46.18 in Test cricket and his opening partnership average of 71.00 with Jeff Stollmeyer remains the all-time best in West Indies Test cricket.
Among his other cricket distinctions were his membership of the Jamaica Cricket Board of Control from 1953, appointment as senior member and selector.
He was also on the West Indies Cricket Board and gained selection as West Indies Representative to the International Cricket Conference and later served as president of the West Indies Cricket Board of Control from 1981 to 1988.
He led an administration that fiercely opposed rebel tours to South Africa by West Indies cricketers and as a consequence, several West Indies players were issued life bans after deciding to tour apartheid South Africa.
He was a pillar of the Kingston Cricket Club (KCC) and his life focused on its activities.
The son of the late Ernest Rae, himself a cricketer of note and KCC stalwart, and Veta née Lacy, Allan was educated at Wolmer's Boys' School and called to the bar at Lincoln?s Inn, London.
In 1953, he married Betty Kinkead who died soon after their only child Phillip was born.
For his services to cricket, Allan was awarded the Order of Jamaica, one of the highest National Honours.
