Scholarships to be awarded in honour of student pilots instructor
Tragedy struck a few weeks ago when two student pilots and their instructor died during a plane crash. However, Captain Errol Stewart, founder and CEO of Caribbean Aviation Training Centre (CATC), told the gathering at the Ocho Rios Baptist Church on Saturday that student pilot Danshuvar Joshua Gilmore, and two other victims of the November 10 plane crash in Kingston, Romone Forbes and Jonathan Worton, died protecting lives, as they were trained to do. Speaking at Gilmore’s funeral, Stewart said the Cessna 172 aircraft crashed in Greenwich Town, avoiding any casualties on the ground. Stewart hailed this, and announced that the CATC would be awarding three scholarships in their honour. He also said he would make representation to the Ministry of Transport to have the three victims officially recognised by the nation by having them included on next year’s list of awardees for national honours, a comment met with an applause from the packed church. Despite the rain, hundreds of persons turned out at the service of thanksgiving for the life of Gilmore, the last to be buried of the three vicitms of the tragedy.
Still looking smart in his uniform, while lying in the casket, which was finished in two tones of blue, his favourite colour, Gilmore did one final act.
CRASH VICTIMS
He brought together people from all walks of life – from educational institutions he attended, relatives from overseas, friends, government ministers, and well wishers.
Transport Minister Mike Henry and Shahine Robinson, minister of social security, were in attendance. So too were the relatives of the other two crash victims.
Tributes flowed aplenty – from Glen and Iona preparatory schools, from Holland and York Castle high schools, from the CATC, the Ministry of Education, and family members.
Danshuvar’s mother, Dawn Singh Gilmore, delivered the eulogy. She said she had hoped his passion for flying would have disappeared with the years as she dreaded the thought of him doing flying lessons.
However, the passion never did. Nonetheless, she said he got to do what he really loved.
“His death has left us grieving,” the bereaved mother said.
Student pilots from CATC were among the pall-bearers carrying the coffin from the church to the hearse, which took the body to its final resting place at the St Ann’s Bay Cemetery.