Colourful tribute for Claire Bourne

Barrington Flemming, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

Scores of mourners filled the Sharon Baptist Church in Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth, last Saturday to bid farewell to businesswoman Claire Mureen Bourne, who died tragically in St Mary on April 17.

The mourners, too many for the church, also packed the sizeable church hall where they participated in the service of thanksgiving via mounted television screens.

In colourful tributes, Bourne was hailed as a magnanimous individual who had "an infectious personality and a passion for life". She was also lifted up as an astute businesswoman and a philanthropist.

Dwight Richards paid tribute in song with Josh Grobban's You Raise Me Up and complemented it by playing a verse using the alto saxophone.

The 47-year-old businesswoman - the sister of the Gleaner's Print, Plant and Distribution Operations Manager Collin Bourne - was also remembered by friends as a mediator, counsellor and best friend to everyone with whom she interacted.

Sharon DaCosta, in her remembrance, said Bourne would go the extra mile to help others. She described her as a genuine individual who was not afraid to enjoy life.

"Claire was cut down in the midst of life's greatest journey. She was so warm and giving, loving everyone."

Personal reflection

Pastor of the Sharon Baptist Church the Reverend Jacob Powell, in his sermon, lamented the death of Bourne and also said, in his personal reflection, that she was always helpful and giving.

Pastor Powell likened gunmen to vampires who are out seeking to kill and satisfy their inborn thirst for blood, adding that one thing was certain: vampires also die.

"We are now living in a country where our streets have become jungles of death. Brutality and violence rule the way of life. But in God's plan, death is only a comma that punctuates our lives," he opined.

Miss Bourne was interred in the family plot at Santa Cruz.