Gym renamed in honour of policeman formerly assigned to Clarke
Published:Friday | June 10, 2022 | 12:08 AM
The close-protection officer previously assigned to Minister of Finance Dr Nigel Clarke, who perished in a three-vehicle collision a year ago, was recently recognised with a gym named in his honour.
The gym is located at the headquarters of the Protective Services Division in Kingston, where he was assigned up to his untimely death. It was officially renamed on June 3.
His widow, Stacy Smith, was very pleased with the recognition given to her deceased husband.
She believes the gym will continue the legacy of kindness which he portrayed.
“Marlon was a people’s person [and] a family man. If you had a dull moment or wasn’t having a good day, once Marlon was in the building or anywhere around you, you would feel his presence, because you’d always hear him talking; (he) made you smile,” Smith said.
She recalled how her late husband took his job very serious and admitted that sometimes she would question him if the police force came before his family.
“The way he loves his job, he could not be late. He always had to be on time; always had to be here working,” she said.
Clarke said it was with mixed feelings that they were gathered, given that Smith was very instrumental in getting funding for the project from the CHASE Fund before his death.
“The loss of Marlon, a father, husband, friend, colleague, and CPO is fresh and the wounds raw, but at the same time, what we gather to do today [is to] celebrate Marlon’s life,” Clarke said.
He continued: “This gym speaks to the kind of person Marlon was. This is not a cosmetic exercise to simply splash Marlon’s name on some monument. This is something Marlon was integral in making happen and speak to the kind of person that he was.”
Clarke recalled that Smith was always giving and the day before he died, he recalled Marlon’s kindness where he went out of his way and bought him lunch, just to ensure that he ate.
Smith died tragically on June 24 last year while leading a convoy in Trelawny when the vehicle he was driving ran off the road.