Suzette Smith, Gleaner Writer
ADLINE BARBARA BROWN otherwise known as 'Aunty Babs', 'Mother B' and 'Sister Babs' of Deanery Road, Kingston 3, had such a big heart that her love and compassion for people knew no boundary. She was known to be very giving and always had a word of wisdom to impart. She especially cared about children. Although she had only one biological daughter, Mother B was a mother to many.
"Mummy adopted a whole heap a children ... she got a dream a long time ago that her house should never be without children. My house was called One Stop and the little we had, all of us ate," her daughter Marcia Detry Fogah recalled.
PIED PIPER
"Even someone was saying that when my mother was walking down Deanery Road, they used to call her the Pied Piper," she added.
Mother B was one of 12 children for parents Lunette Scott and Theophilus Brown and was born on December 24, 1924 in Grants Town District, St. Mary.
She attended Mason Hall Primary School in St. Mary and at some point in time had begun attending Wolmer's High School but missed home so much that she returned to St. Mary.
She later moved to Kingston and met Redmond Detry. They had one daughter together: Marcia.
"One thing I was sure about was my mother's love," Mrs. Detry Fogah said.
Mother B was a member of St. Theresa's Catholic Church where she was a member of the Big Sisters movement and sang on the church choir.
JAMAICAN PROVERBS
She reared her children on Jamaican proverbs, and the teachings of the Bible. One of her favourite scriptures was: "The Joy of the Lord is my strength".
Mrs. Detry Fogah takes comfort from this scripture as it helped her throughout the period of bereavement and enabled her to read a 13-page eulogy at her thank-sgiving service.
Her daughter, adopted daughters Sheryl and Lorna, other adopted children, two sisters Joyce and Christine, brothers Ulett, Kenneth, Ernest, Ivan, Roy and Ervis, son-in-law Joseph Fogah, nieces, nephews, other relatives and a host of friends and well-wishers survive and miss her.
She passed away at home on Saturday, June 24.
A liturgical mass was held at St. Theresa's Catholic Church on Tuesday, July 4 at 2:00 p.m. She was cremated.
