A man of INTEGRITY, a great boss, a great friend

HONOURING THE MEMORY OF IAN BASIL HALL

WHEN I first started working at WIHCON Properties, it was easy to feel intimidated by Mr. Hall. He would enter the office daily with a very stern look on his face. Oftentimes when he walked in, all chattering ceased abruptly and colleagues would hastily find their seats with their heads down – ready to focus. It appeared as though his presence inspired an austere state of affairs in the workplace.

Unimaginable as it seemed then, we would spend the next 15 years nurturing a relationship marked by ongoing collaboration that later blossomed into a longstanding friendship. Throughout this time, whenever he needed to discuss anything with his staff, he beckoned us to his office, or as he puts it ‘The Dungeon.’ It was through these frequent exchanges that I realized he was not the dragon he was imagined to be.

Mr Hall was a man of high integrity. He was a very hard worker and ensured those qualities were passed on to his employees. Once we took office, his charge to us was simple: “Do good work and maintain high integrity and we will get along quite well.” He took his job very seriously, working from Sunday to Sunday, making headway on various projects, ensuring that the properties were OK or trying to find the needle in the haystack that may have been missed.

He also took such pride in the company that you dare not say anything unfavourable about WIHCON Properties! Mr. Hall received any negative comments personally, and he would get very upset about it. He would say “They are out of order talking about me like that,” to which I would note, “Sir they didn’t say you they said WPL.” He would then reply, “Ian and WPL are one and the same.”

Mr Hall was more than a manager to us, he was a teacher, a counsellor, and a friend. He schooled us daily, always looking for an opportunity to share his wealth of knowledge. Any topic on the agenda, he had the history, and was equipped with stories from the ‘60s to the present.

When we met with our various stakeholders, and they threw questions that would elude us, we could always depend on him for the answers. His dedication to his work meant he could tell us when a building was constructed, the developer, and even the original paint

colour. Because of this knowledge, he was well respected in the industry and people would often seek his advice.

Mr Hall didn’t just love work he also adored his family. René, his daughter was his heartbeat, he spoke of her daily, and often reminded us when we challenged him, “Only René alone me ‘fraid of enuh”. He also spoke of his siblings, his sisters who were in the medical field, his brothers especially the musician and his brilliant nephews and nieces. He spoke highly of his mother who was very serious about her church and his Pa’ who taught him a lot of his qualities.

His strong family values were also extended to us at work. He was always interested in the well-being of our children and us as employees. If he observed that a staff member was in need or couldn’t afford to partake in any planned activities that were not work-related, he would say, “Miss Ethana, I’ll cover for that staff.”

He was always sharing. During Christmas time we benefited from his fruit cakes. In January, we could look forward to ice cream and, occasionally, pizza or cheesecake. At Easter time, he would buy several buns and cheese to distribute.

He loved music and he would turn up his speakers on Friday evenings after work, singing along to his selected tunes. But our most memorable moment with him was when he participated in a Jamaica Day competition, “skanking” in his performance, showcasing a side of him very few knew. The crowd went wild and we won the competition that year. We cherish these memories.

To his family, I believe that what we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.

René, you don’t have to rely on memories to recapture the spirit of your father, he lives within your soul in a perfect sanctuary, which even death cannot destroy.

To the WPL family, he taught you all that he could, you have enough to continue the journey, as long as you continue to live by his words; doing good work and maintaining high integrity.

He lived his life doing what he wanted to do; doing the things that he loved and now he has gone to sleep. SO SLEEP IN PEACE IAN B HALL.

ETHANA ELLIS-CAMPBELL Financial Controller for British Caribbean Insurance Company, Co-worker of Mr. Hall for over 15 years