Tributes flow for Paul Sharpe - Former CVM videographer laid to rest

Former CVM Television videographer Paul Sharpe was hailed as a family man and man of God at his thanksgiving service on Sunday, February 23, at the Port Maria Seventh-Day Baptist Church in St Mary.

Sharpe, a former deacon in his church, died on January 27 at age 55, having served the media fraternity for several years.

The huge turnout at the service and the long list of tributes from a wide cross section of society reflected how well loved and respected Sharpe was and remains even in death.

Pastor Norman Fearon, who flew in from Fort Lauderdale for the funeral, spoke of the friendship Sharpe shared with him and his family.

“He has been really special to us, and we are going to miss him. I just want to thank God for him, for lending him to us. One of the things that we can celebrate and be thankful for is the fact that he had given his life to the Lord Jesus Christ,” Fearon said.

The funeral also drew tributes from politicians from both sides as Robert Montague, Member of Parliament for Western St Mary, for the Jamaica Labour Party, and Dr Morais Guy, Member of Parliament for Central St Mary, for the People’s National Party, both spoke glowingly of Sharpe.

In a moving tribute, Montague described Paul as his mentor and teacher and ended with a special message to his family. “In the days ahead, it’s not going to be easy. It’s going to be a rough journey. Most of all, there’ll be a weight on your shoulder. Let that weight force you to the ground because it is from the ground, on your knees, you can approach the throne of grace, and it is there, only there, you will be comforted,” Montague said.

Dr Guy remembered Sharpe as a family man.

“I want to remember Paul as one who, in as much as he was an active member of the church, I think his greatest quality was that of his love for his family and his children. A man who’s totally devoted to his family and to his wife. That was Paul,” Guy said.

He described Sharpe as a community man who was driven by his Christian values to serve the community and also as a media practitioner who was fearless.

Barris Malcolm, one of several relatives who was on the programme, lamented Sharpe’s passing at such a relatively young age.

“This is not how it was supposed to go, at least this is not how we expected it to happen,” Malcolm said, pointing out that Sharpe was supposed to bury him and not he bury Sharpe.

But, he said, “Joy will come in the morning because he’s a man of God.”

Tributes also came from the St Mary police division, St Ann police division, the Department of Correctional Services Sandside Heights Citizens Association, and the Port Maria Seventh-Day Baptist Church, among others.

Interment was in the Port Maria cemetery.