Footprints | Robert Morrison - Comic laughs loudly no more

One month before Robert Dwayne Morrison was born, on November 18, 1967, his father died. He spent the first years of his life with his mother and grandmother in Bethel Town, St Ann.

In the summer of 1975, Morrison went to spend time with his grandaunt, Pearline McLawrence, in Stewart Town, Trelawny, where his elder sister Jerolin was living. Morrison did not return to Bethel Town, and enrolled at Stewart Town All-Age School.

He also attended Cedric Titus Secondary in Clark's Town in the parish.

After secondary school, Morrison relocated to Kingston where he was employed to Dirk Security Company until December last year when he got ill. He was married to Doreen Smith, whom he wedded on his birthday in 2000. The Morrisons produced no children together, but Robert fathered two sons from previous relationships.

Morrison succumbed to his illness on the afternoon of March 5. Twenty days later, his remains were buried in the Stewart Town Cemetery after his thanksgiving service in the Church of Christ, Old Harbour, St Catherine.

HUMOROUS STORYTELLER

He was eulogised by his nephew Romario Erskine as a comedic storyteller who had an "infectious and loud laughter", a people-lover and a free spirit who would hold no grudges. The "dedicated" and "faithful" worker was also remembered as a "disciplined" and "respectful" man, and a regular churchgoer who attended Sunday school and sang on the choir. "Oh, how we remember the harvest sales and the Christmas cantatas," Erskine said.

"One of his friends reminisced on the great summer holidays when Robert, along with other boys in the district, would gather in 'Plaintain Walk' to play cricket ... . Breadfruit would be roasting in a fire nearby, and so nobody would go home for lunch ... . 'And why would they?' he asked." Nothing could let them leave the breadfruit and salted butter.

Left to cherish those memories of 'Johnny Butt', aka 'Rubbaz', are his mother, wife, two sons (Kevaughn and Peter), six siblings (Jerolin, Karen, Cheryl, Careen, Patrick and Carlton), seven nieces, one nephew, other relatives and friends.