‘She was everything … and so much more’

A kaleidoscope of emotions, bright-eyed with a brilliant smile, a strict mom, trailblazing lawyer, defender of justice, and mother to all. That is how Valerie Claire Neita-Robertson will be remembered.

Embodying resilience, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to justice, she was hailed by her family and the legal fraternity for leaving a permanent mark on a country she dearly loved and fought for in any way she could.

Yesterday, family, friends, colleagues and dignitaries gathered at the St Andrew Parish Church to celebrate the life of the King’s Counsel – an honourable veteran in the world of law.

The noted lawyer lost her battle with cancer on February 24 at the age of 71.

Tribute after tribute noted that if you ever had the chance of meeting Neita-Robertson, chances are you wouldn’t forget her. She was hailed as a role model in all aspects of her life, always standing tall in the courtroom, handing out advice to strangers or defending people who simply had nowhere else to turn and no one in their corner.

She left her mark with every footstep.

“She was determined to fight the cause for her clients, for those who needed a fighter, for those who were voiceless,” said her son, Shakir Wilson, during a moving tribute.

That was her mission. It wasn’t about fame or money, he said. His mother valued fairness above all and thought that law was about the people. Neita-Robertson didn’t only practise law, she valued justice, too. She was also noted for being a mother to young lawyers, wayward teens, neighbours, and defendants with nowhere left to turn.

To most, she was a trailblazer, an excellent criminal defence attorney but to her four sons she was a master of cross-examination, a strategist with a forensic eye, and someone who could dismantle a case with equal parts brilliance and boldness.

Her son revealed that to the people who really knew her, Neita-Robertson was so much more.

Even as she neared death, when her illness was at its most critical, she remained strong and tall, determined to pull through until her final case. Despite being visibly ill, she entered the courtroom with her youngest son Abraham Neita-Robertson by her side, commanding, confident, unstoppable.

“This is my last case, son. Do you want to come to court with me?” she asked him that day.

“It felt like watching a great athlete in their prime,” he recalled.

As her son described that day, he was overcome with emotions at the memory.

He was filled with awe when he saw that the greatest applause for his mother did not come from the courtroom but from strangers on the street who greeted her with cheers and reverence.

As the congregation listened to the emotion-filled tribute, they loudly applauded as if they were all transported back in time to that unforgettable day.

Her son’s amazement was not just about her skill as a lawyer, but the strength and influence she exuded.

At this point, he realised that “mommy” wasn’t just a King’s Counsel, but she had gained the forever title as the ‘People’s Counsel’.

‘FOUGHT WITH AN INDOMITABLE SPIRIT’

Neita-Robertson’s life was not untouched by grief. She buried her first husband and built her legal legacy while raising two boys on her own. Those close to her shared that she never allowed tragedy to break her. Instead, it tempered her – giving her a deeper empathy for those in pain, and a steelier resolve to protect others from injustice.

In his heartfelt tribute, Churchill Neita shared his deep admiration for his sister, saying, “Valerie had a passion for justice. She fought with an indomitable spirit. She was totally unafraid of any challenge or anybody. When it came to the interest of our client, she would go the extra mile. Not only did she defend with passion, with confidence and commitment, she very often took them in her ambit and became a mother to them.”

He continued, “Valerie was more than about self-notification. Everything that she did, she did for the benefit of her clients. She loved and she cared. Her sons, she grew them from boys to men. And I feel a sense of immense pride when I see them, they are my relatives. And I see strong young men who benefited from the strength of a woman.”

Her legacy, said her brother, lives on as she was like Nanny, queen of the Maroons, because she feared nobody. She feared no judge. No one.

Overcome with deep emotions, Churchill ended, “Valerie was an exceptional person. An exceptional mother. Valerie, my sister, I love you. I will always love you. You will always be in my mind. And all our sons will all become my sons.”

While the halls of justice lost a trailblazer, it was noted that the nation can agree that Neita-Robertson’s voice still lingers and her legacy remains imprinted in the courtrooms.

“We carry you forward, Mummy,” her youngest son said, closing the tributes. “With every word we speak, every person we help, and every battle we fight in your name.”

mickalia.kington@gleanerjm.com