Clare’s last story

Whether it was her trademark laughter, her Friday evening domino game, or giving a sizeable contribution to her alma mater, Camperdown High School, Clare Forrester was a star, a brilliant meteor flashing across the sky

She was a mentor for young people needing guidance, an advocate, analyst, thinker, journalist, devout lover of track and field, and most of all, a friend to those who turned out for a service in thanksgiving for her life yesterday and the hundreds of others who shared memories from afar.

In life, she engaged politicians, journalists, women, boys and girls from all walks of life; and in death, they came and paid tribute to her at the Webster Memorial Church yesterday morning.

"A family friend and multifaceted journalist, a life that burned brightly among us, a friend for life, one who did not beat around the bush, a committed member of the committees on which she served, a woman of unshaken faith, a talented batsman who came to the crease to add runs to the score, an extraordinary gem, a diamond recognised for her polish and enduring value," were some of the accolades heaped on her in remembrance.

Above all, she was a journalist, and journalism meant everything to her.

Those paying tribute expressed thanks for having known her, for being worthy to have made contact with this generous soul who gave so much love.

It was her brother, Huntley, who was 17 months older than her, who gave the most poignant picture of her departure as she took her last breath.

"She was a beautiful person, but it was the most beautiful that I had seen her. Her face without any contortions or anything. I held her hands, clasped her fingers with mine. She opened her eyes, and then closed them again for the last time," Huntley said in an unscripted remembrance.

Clare, he said, was an unforgettable treasure, and although he had to remind her that he was older, it didn't matter once she was ready to fight an argument.

There weren't many that she lost.

And whether it was in Kingston, Montego Bay, Barbados, Trinidad, Haiti or elsewhere in the region, Clare shone brightly, and the years between her birth and death were an enduring legacy of excellence.

The veteran journalist was remembered as one who sought to uplift rather than tear down, one who empowered, one who upheld excellence and rued mediocrity.

Members of the large congregation were encouraged by the Reverend Astor Carlyle to think carefully about the legacy they were leaving behind as they reflected on the life of Clare Angela Forrester, OD.