WESTERN BUREAU:
It was a heartfelt celebration of a life dedicated to service and an outpouring of love at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Montego Bay, St James, on Friday, as Dr Paul Alfred Robinson was eulogised as a loving, caring, and selfless man.
Friends from his childhood in Ulster Spring, Trelawny; schoolmates from York Castle High School and Brown’s Town Community College in St Ann; along with colleagues, former patients, ordinary citizens, and fellow medical professionals, gathered to honour the beloved Robinson’s kindness, friendship, and exceptional medical skills.
In a moving tribute from the York Castle Class of 1976, of which Robinson was a member, Aggrey ‘Pablo’ Palmer fondly remembered his 65-year-old former classmate as a brilliant student who was always willing to share his knowledge and help others achieve excellence.
Robinson was also remembered as an athlete who represented his school in the daCosta Cup as a goalkeeper.
Three of Robinson’s four sons, like him and his wife, Dr Michelle Robinson, are medical doctors. Their first son, Dr Wayne Robinson, hailed his father as a man who took generosity to an extraordinary level. He recounted how his father would often pull over while driving to give “a thing” (money) to a complete stranger if they appeared to be in need.
As a child, Wayne thought this was a normal act, only to realise later in life that his father’s kindness was rare and one of the many reasons he was loved by everyone who crossed his path.
Robinson’s widow, Michelle, with whom he shared a well-known medical practice at the entrance of Paradise Row (North Gully), recalled that when they met at The University of the West Indies, she was a first-year medical student and he was in his third year. She described their romance as a “whirlwind”, as he proposed to her within three weeks.
True to his word, immediately after she graduated in 1989 – two years after he did – the couple married, and he remained devoted to her, keeping his vow of ‘until death do us part’ until his passing after suffering a stroke on December 1.
Michelle shared that while her husband devoted much of his time to building their medical practice, caring for patients – including hotel guests – being there for his friends, and enjoying his love for tennis, he never neglected his family. He took an active, hands-on role in the lives of their sons, all while ensuring she was a happy wife.
Reflecting on the challenges Robinson faced throughout his life, including the loss of his only brother, Keith, and his father, Alfred, during his childhood, as well as enduring medical procedures such as hip replacement surgery, knee surgery, and the amputation of a limb in his later years, his family remembered him as someone who never complained and always placed service to others above his own struggles.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, steeped in the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, the majority of the mourners gathered at the church entrance, forming a spontaneous guard of honour as Robinson’s sons – Dr Wayne Robinson, Dr Warren Robinson, Dr Kevin Robinson, and Jerome Robinson – were joined by Michael Frater (stepbrother) and Paul Guscot (friend) in removing the coffin from the church.
“I have never seen so many doctors and nurses in one place … . Even the Seba United footballers from North Gully are here. This is truly a remarkable show of respect and love,” remarked a woman, who was determined not to leave without one of the colourful funeral programmes. “Dr Paul deserves this. He earned this love and respect. ... He was a special human being.”
There was no interment as Robinson’s body is to be cremated.