Letter of the Day | Howard Hamilton was a man of the people

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Within 24 hours, Hands Across Jamaica For Righteousness (HANDS) lost two of our stalwarts who made so much of the vision and work of HANDS possible.

Howard Hamilton, when called by then Governor General Sir Howard Cooke to serve on the board of HANDS, made himself a humble servant to carry the message of the nation’s motto, anthem and pledge wherever Jamaicans needed to hear it and be encouraged. Whether it was the ‘Concert of Magnificent Music’ in New York, featuring some of Jamaica’s most renowned musicians, or it was to return to his own primary school to give the HANDS talk, he was as gentle as he was effective in getting the message across to the children. He gave of his own resources to help this ever-struggling non-profit organisation to meet the imaginative goals we have set to mobilise the nation, as we go about mobilising children. He went back to his old primary school, St Aloysius, as well as to other schools across the island to inspire the children to work hard and dream big, as they would become the answer to Jamaica’s future needs when their elders departed the stage of life.

The formidable and brilliant advocate, Howard Hamilton, QC, whom I met several years ago in the early 1970s while working as a young clerk at the Supreme Court, was then, and still remained up to his death, the lawyer anyone could talk to. He was truly a man of the people and who loved the Jamaican people. He must have retired a few times, only to be recalled to serve. We say farewell to this giant advocate and legal luminary who stood head and shoulders above others, literally and figuratively, yet made himself just a servant.

God’s speed, brother. We were the richer for having you among us.

YVONNE COKE

Founder

Hands Across Jamaica For

Righteousness