Miller hailed as a gift to Jamaica

Public relations specialist and executive chairman of the FLOW Foundation, Errol Keith 'EK' Miller, was yesterday sent off in a spirited thanksgiving service that recounted the life of a loving father, a friend and a "gift to Jamaica".

Slow to anger, quick to listen, a sharp-witted comedian, who at other times brought his point across crisp and direct, the tributes to Miller spurred tears and laughter among dozens inside and outside the Havenhill Baptist Church in St Andrew.

"Nobody dropped what they were doing when I called faster, nobody else drove me to the school gate in the mornings, reminding me that if I don't do well there is a fish stall on Port Henderson Road waiting on me," recounted his youngest daughter, Shannon.

"Definitely, nobody ever told me they had one thing to say to me, and then proceeded on a monologue all the way from Immaculate High School to home in Portmore," she continued.

"To the man who never panicked, the man who taught me that there is always a

solution ... the man who spent hours dropping off school bags and shoes when I forgot them ... there is truly no other quite like you," added Shannon.

Letter expressing love

Her older brother, Stephen, took time to compose himself before recounting how for his 16th birthday, his father wrote him a letter expressing the love he had for his son.

He described his father as a great servant to humanity.

"From a very early age I knew my father was amazing; he told me that all the time," said Stephen, sparking another bout of laughter from the mostly teary-eyed congregants.

"Our weekly Saturday morning battles on the golf course often left me feeling disappointed, having lost to him ... again, or as Daddy would put it: 'another beat-and-teach session'," said Stephen.

He continued, "Over those 20 years I was privileged to have what I deemed was truly quality time spent with him. It was an opportunity to bond, to share with him any concerns, any issues, any success ... my father was a great man," said Stephen, listing a host of TV shows he and his dad would watch together.

Miller's oldest daughter, Dr Lesley-Ann Miller, who lives overseas, spoke of fond ice-cream nights and singalongs with her father, who she added glowed with pride whenever she came to visit, or whenever he was around children, including her daughter.

Miller's brother Peter Pratt, his co-workers at FLOW, Custos of Kingston Steadman Fuller, who brought words on behalf of Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, were among others who offered tribute to the man they described as a leader and motivator.

The adjective were corroborated by Miller's protege at FLOW, Kelly Ann Lawful Symes, and his sister in law, Esther Hayle-Sinclair, who delivered a tribute on behalf of Miller's wife of 20 years, Joylyn.