One of St Ann’s best known businessmen who pulled himself up by the bootstrap, Cecil Chang is dead.
He died Saturday morning, April 11, after a period of illness. He was 73.
Mr Chang is most associated with Rexo plazaand the supermarket of the same name that he built,close to the clock, in Ocho Rios. He is also known to have helped many Jamaicans and members of the Chinese community to set up business in all parts of St Ann.
“He was generous to a fault,” said his daughter Audrey, one of his three children. The others are Lisa and Jason.
“I have been surprised by the number of people I don’t even know who have called or come up to me and said ‘I am who I am or where I am because of Cecil Chang’,” she said.
His son Jason said his father was devoted to his family and that did not mean just the immediate family but to his extended family. “He even considered some close friends family members, said Jason Chang. “Him just love people,” he said.
Born in Jamaica in 1942, to parents who were shop keepers, Cecil Chang reportedly took to business early and started riding around on his bicycle selling horse racing papers and also taking bets. His family members say he had wanted to go into the hardware business but someone told him “people must eat food” and he decided to go into the grocery business instead. Before that he and one of his brothers operated a bar at Cotton Tree.
His companion for most of his years and in his business was his wife Kim who he married in China and who returned to Jamaica with Cecil Chang.
Said his daughter, Audrey “He and his wife started the little shop (at 128 Main street) and lived right there.”. Later they were able to build living quarters upstairs as the business began to grow. The grocery business thrived, although people familiar with it said Cecil Chang offered credit and gave to people who didn’t have money to pay.
Years after he established Rexo as one of the biggest supermarkets in Ocho Rios and set up the two-storey plaza with a variety of shops. He later passed the businesses on to close family members and stood back from it only offering advice.“He did so much but didn’t like taking credit for anything,” said his daughter Audrey.
Cecil Chang died leaving five siblings. His funeral service will take place on Monday, April 20 at the St Ann Anglican Church, Ocho Rios, beginning at 11.
