Ode to Oliver
LAST YEAR, while Oliver Clarke was critically ill he invited me to a meeting to discuss finding an affordable way to publish my book Enduring Advocacy for a Better Jamaica (2019). However, there was more on offer, including a meal, viewing his latest acquisition of books, discussing matters of national importance and some personal issues.
That last personal meeting showed that Oliver had a deep love for the print media and books. The Gleaner was dear to his heart. This love of books perhaps led to the foray by The Gleaner Company in acquiring Sangster’s Book Stores. But this love for the print was not just as a businessman; he loved reading to acquire knowledge in order to solve problems. In addition, Oliver was a good editor. He did an excellent job in editing the chapter ‘Economic Empowerment’ in the book Rebellion to Riot: The Jamaican Church in Nation Building. Oliver was enamoured by every stage involving print.
A RENEWED JAMAICA
That meeting also demonstrated that up to the very end, Oliver was interested in a renewed Jamaica. There is no other private-sector leader I know who has hosted more meetings than Oliver to discuss national affairs with the aim to find workable solutions. Twentyfour years ago, after a visit to the Moral Re-Armament conference in Switzerland, I came back to Jamaica convinced that Jamaica needed a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, similar to the South African model, to tackle our high murder rate. Oliver assembled his senior management team to listen to my idea. Oliver was always open to new ideas in the quest for his vision of a better Jamaica and accommodated such meetings up to a few months ago.
In 2016, Oliver was on to another idea of how to get the churches to cooperate through better utilisation of its property. He had on board Dr Parris Lyew-Ayee, director of the Mona GeoInformatics Institute, who mapped out the Jamaican church buildings. Many meetings were called with church leaders of various denominations. Unfortunately, the idea died before Oliver. However, if churches fail to cooperate then disaster is ahead, similar to the effects of COVID-19.
In 2002, when Oliver was president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, he formed a family life committee with the aim of promoting and facilitating more marriages. However, a majority on the committee opposed the idea and the project perished. Paradoxically, all who opposed the idea were married! Oliver believed that a stable family life was the chief cornerstone for a healthy and maturing society.
However, for Oliver, marriage was not a project but something personal which he found fulfilling and wished for others. He loved his wife, Monica Ladd, and the apple of his eyes, Alexandra. Condolences to his family. DEVON DICK
Pastor
Boulevard Baptist Church