By Linton Gordon
It is with much sadness that we learnt of the passing of former Governor General Sir Howard Cooke. Sir Howard was easily one of the most popular Governors General Jamaica has had. He was loved by just about everyone. He was a true unifying force for us and it must be said that this was an outstanding achievement of his, considering that he is a founding member of one of our political parties, namely the People’s National Party and that he served as a Member of Parliament, as a senator, as a Government minister and as a member of the People’s National Party. During his tenure as Governor General, he was accepted as a unifying force by a wide cross section of citizens spanning the Jamaica Labour Party, the People’s National Party and those not connected to any political party. Sir Howard exercised flexibility and discretion in the Office of Governor General. He was accessible to a wide cross section of the population and he gave support to just about all projects and community efforts to which his awesome presence could give support and credibility. During my time in the army, Sir Howard supported the programmes we pursued in support of communities throughout Jamaica. In 2005 the Third Battalion Jamaica Regiment conducted an outreach programme at the Central Branch School in West Kingston. Sir Howard not only attended in support of the project but he put on military uniform and wore our famed ‘green berry’ to the Central Branch School. It was a pleasure to see Sir Howard meeting members of the community, including adults and children. Everyone was delighted to see him and his presence was a source of attraction to several members of the community who turned out just to see the Governor General in “soldiers’ cloth”. Sir Howard on that occasion moved amongst the citizens in a smooth and jovial way. He put all at ease, including members of the Jamaica Defence Force with whom he shared lunch and a few drinks that day. Sir Howard has left a legacy of loyalty to country, dedication to duty and commitment to his fellow men. We should commit ourselves to showing dedication and loyalty to Jamaica land we love, the way Sir Howard did it. May his soul rest in peace.
