Dr ‘Marco’ Brown hailed for serving with sincerity, distinction
Published:Sunday | October 9, 2022 | 12:12 AMAlbert Ferguson - Sunday Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Relatives, politicians and members of the medical fraternity yesterday reflected on Dr Henry ‘Marco’ Brown’s life of service as they said goodbye to an unassuming family physician and parliamentarian who became Jamaica’s first junior tourism minister.
Brown, who died on August 11, was 96.
During the thanksgiving service to celebrate his life at the St James Parish Church in Montego Bay, St James, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said Brown was part of a pioneering team that drove the rebuilding of the local tourism industry, which saw the country starting to welcome some 200,000 visitors annually in the 1980s.
“While [then Tourism Minister] Anthony Abrahams was busy with trade, Marco was busy in the marketplace, all across the globe ... so that at the end of that period (the 1980s), we had the fastest-growing period in the history of Jamaica’s tourism and he left with over one million visitors being part of the Jamaican experience,” said Bartlett.
Deputy Prime Minister Dr Horace Chang says Brown was the established practitioner in Montego Bay, who, along with his good friend and political partner Dr Herbert Eldemire, together provided quality service in the city at a time when the family physician was the centre of medicine practice in Jamaica.
“He kept in touch with current practices, and would be very visible at various seminars as part of his continued education that is required to provide quality healthcare to his patients,” Chang said as he paid tribute to his former medical and political colleague.
Chang, who is also general secretary of the Jamaica Labour Party, noted that Brown was a pillar in the party in Montego Bay and western Jamaica, having served as deputy leader at a time when politics was not an attractive career.
“He was the sole cornerstone. When others were leaving, he came and held it together so that others like myself, Minister Bartlett, and others would come and find something tangible to work with as many were taking the six flights per day, moving out of the country. And those who were not moving were compromising their own values; they were afraid to speak out and identify with the process,” noted Chang.
He added that while Brown was not a charismatic politician, his strength was in the interpersonal relationships he built, interfacing with people from the humblest to the highest offices in the country.
“It was a privilege to work with him as a young politician and physician, he made a tremendous contribution to his country both in medicine and the political arena in his own way, as a quiet giant, working for the interest of the people of this region,” said Chang, noting that Brown was an outstanding son of Montego Bay, who served with distinction, humility and sincerity.
Among those who turned out to mourn on Saturday were Montego Bay Mayor Leeroy Williams, St James Custos Bishop Conrad Pitkin, former Prime Minister Bruce Golding and Penny Rivers, the deputy mayor of Godalming, England.
“Marco was inspirational, informing my political views. His liberal values were indeed inclusive. He would say, ‘My house is your house and all are welcome’,” Rivers said.