Family, friends remember Mark deFreitas

The Reverend Christine Gooden-Benguche, pastor of the Saxthorpe Methodist Church, yesterday used the thanksgiving service for Mark deFreitas, late son of renowned journalist Paget deFreitas, to sound a rallying cry for civic Jamaica to join in the fight against rampant violence raging throughout Jamaica.

"It only takes a spark to get a fire going," declared Gooden-Benguche, as she sought to rally non-governmental organisations and other legitimate forces to join the cause to bring back peace to a nation wracked by violence.

Mark deFreitas, 31, was gunned down as he stood beside his Honda Civic motor car on April 24 on Montgomery Drive in Stony Hill. He was reportedly taking a female colleague home when armed men travelling on a motorcycle attacked.

Employing the biblical story of Stephen, the martyr who was stoned in the Book of Acts and his attitude to those responsible, Gooden-Benguche stressed that the fight against the scourge must be laced with forgiveness.

Gooden-Benguche declared that the situation had reached crisis proportions in Jamaica, with no one knowing what to expect next.

The Hot Dog Man

On a day when solemnity was injected with humour, the young - filled with life, reflecting Mark's bubbling energy - came out, along with the older ones to pay tribute to the younger deFreitas, affectionately called 'The Hot Dog Man'.

But even with the injection of well-crafted humour, the sense of loss lingered for a man whose life was rudely stolen.

It became obvious quite early in the service that that the young man had an impact on many of his peers. Mark's best friend, Roberto Blair, regaled the assembly with the escapades they enjoyed together and characterised him as genuine, smart and humble.

To illustrate his down-to-earth personality, Blair described deFreitas as a "jeans and boots guy".

Close friendship

Blair, who himself was dressed in jeans and boots, told the gathering that he and Mark grew up together. Their years together involved riding their bicycles side by side, trying to attract teenage girls and, in their adult years, bouncing ideas off each other.

"Being around Mark was like standing in sunlight. His vibes and enthusiasm just radiated on to you. The warmth of his welcome was like no other," he said.

Blair said deFreitas' spirit would continue in the lives of those he touched.

"Some of us, such as myself, are here in absolute awe at what a magical person Mark was and how much of an impression he made in our lives," he said.

Veteran journalist Moses Jackson, a close friend of Mark's father, Paget, told riveting stories about the young man, portraying him as humorous, dependable, responsible, independent, articulate and strong-willed.

Along with his father, Mark is survived by his mother, Angela, sister, Jan, and three young children, one of whom was born Wednesday.

'Being around Mark was like standing in sunlight. ... The warmth of his welcome was like no other.'