Clarendon councillors reflect on McLeod-McFarlane’s life of service, advocacy
Published:Friday | September 13, 2024 | 12:09 AMOlivia Brown/Gleaner Writer
Clarendon councillors on Thursday paid tribute to their late colleague, Marjorie McLeod-McFarlane, in solemn reflection and a memorial display at her empty seat in the council chamber.
McLeod-McFarlane, who was also a teacher, was elected the councillor for the Aenon Town division in Clarendon Northern in February, passed away on September 1. She was reportedly battling cancer.
May Pen Mayor Joel Williams eulogised McLeod-McFarlane as a fierce advocate and a voice for the vulnerable who made a stellar contribution to public service.
“She was a dedicated servant who had given several decades of her life to public service, and had contributed her all to the people of the division she represented. Marjorie was not just a colleague to us, she was a fierce advocate, a voice for the vulnerable, [and] a woman of immense compassion and integrity,” said Williams.
The mayor added that McLeod-McFarlane’s devotion to her community was unparalleled.
During her brief tenure as councillor, she championed calls for better roads and advocated for improved amenities for her constituents, he said.
“She approached every task with determination. Her legacy will live on in the countless lives she touched. She was a teacher by profession and a mentor to many. Her spirit of service has inspired a generation of leaders in Clarendon. In her absence, we feel a great loss, but we also feel a sense of duty – a duty to carry on the work she so passionately believed in,” Williams said.
Councillor Scean Barnswell of the Hayes division described the late councillor as polite and calm.
“I didn’t get a chance to get familiar with her because her stint was very short, but in the few moments I interacted with her, she was polite, with a calm demeanour. She was observing the operations of the municipal corporation. [She was] someone, I think, [who] wanted to do good for the people in the Aenon Town division,” said Barnswell.
Councillor Hershell Brown of the Chapelton division urged his fellow local government representatives to use their time on earth to do all the good they can.
He cited McLeod-McFarlane’s passing as a reminder of the fragility of life, adding that he was particularly saddened, as she had long dreamt of serving as councillor.
McLeod-McFarlane made history by becoming the first Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) representative to win the Aenon Town division by polling 1,403 votes (51.69 per cent) to defeat the People’s National Party’s (PNP) Delroy Dawson (1,311 votes).