Kasey Williams
Hundreds of mourners gathered at the Boundbrook Seventh-Day Adventist church on Sunday, November 27, 2016 for the thanksgiving service of student pilot, Ramone Christopher Forbes.
Forbes succumbed to his injuries in hospital following a plane crash on November 10, 2016 at Greenwich Town, Kingston in which flight instructor thirty-year-old Jonathan Worton and student pilot nineteen-year-old Joshua Danshuvar Gilmore also died.
Tributes and tears flowed as Forbes was described and remembered for being determined, dedicated and passionate about not only being a young pilot but also active in his church (Priestman’s River SDA/ Boston), where he was the Adventist youth leader, a deacon, and a Pathfinder.
“The North East Jamaica Conference (NEJC) has thousands of young people who we are proud of. Ramone was one such young person. He was a part of the graduating class of Master Guides last June. A very active young man in not only his home church, but across the NEJC,” proclaimed Pastor Adlai Blythe.
Founder and chief executive officer of the Caribbean Aviation Training Centre (CATC), Captain Errol Stewart called all three victims his sons as he lamented, “I lost three sons and it is not easy, but the joy for me is that the Almighty selected three of my finest pilots and he is coming again. It’s for this reason I am happy as they went on the Almighty airline. When he came to CATC all I saw was his teeth, and from that day on Ramone was known as Smiley. Let us reflect on the joy and passion he has left behind.”
Captain Stewart also announced that there will be a scholarship in the honour of Forbes. He said, “A past student of the Titchfield High School who shared the same pain, passion and love for Aviation has been selected for the scholarship.”
Daniele Willie, Ramone’s former form teacher in grade ten at the Titchfield High School commented on his personality. She said, “One of the standout things for me was his appearance as he was always properly dressed. Writing his end of term form reports was easy. I never taught him as I was only his form teacher but, on graduation day last year he came to me and hugged me saying ‘thanks’….”
Ramone spent less than three months at the Mico University College. President Dr. Asburn Pinnock described him as being talented. “Although had not been with us three full months, his impact is worth a lifetime. The students all attest to this as his radiant smile lit up any room he entered. He was disciplined and committed. His peers even viewed him as their grandfather, as he took control of everyone through monitoring, marshaling, and mentoring.”
Ramone died just two weeks short of his eighteenth birthday. He grew up in the rural area of Castle District in Priestman’s River, Portland. At just age three, he developed a love and interest in aircraft. His aunt Judith Miller in delivering the eulogy stated that he was fascinated with aircraft as she testified that while in high school his book covers were turned into planes.
She said, “In 2011, he enrolled in a Mentorship Programme at the Ian Fleming International Airport. At his graduation, his father and brother had the chance to fly with him over Boscobel and Ocho Rios. In 2013, he enrolled in the same Mentorship Programme at Tension Pen where he traveled to every day from 4 am.”
The near four-hour thanksgiving service was attended by dignitaries, family, his schoolmates among several others.
A procession then took place to the Commodore Cemetery, where he was laid to rest.
