THE front of the funeral programme told volumes about the life of a man well loved and well-lived.

There is the photograph of 'Maas Claude' or 'Bro Woodie', as he was affectionately called, with hymnal and Bible under his arms, nattily attired in a cream two-piece suit with his ever-present smile on his face making his way to church.

In the background is his open bible, pack of water crackers, glass of home-made lemonade and his ever-present felt hat.

The words, poignant in their veracity read:

"He cared nought for much for himself and such that he had: his home, an encouraging word, a radiant smile, a stern rebuke, a perfect example

of workmanship, fatherhood, rectitude, honesty. God-likeness of character and the faith and hope he cherished. He gave and also bequeathed to the many who were constrained by the love of Christ in him, to endear to himself and call his very own."

That was the essentials and essence of the man who many converged on the Newport Seventh-day Adventist Church to pay their last respect.

There were tributes aplenty coming from the West Indies Union, Central Jamaica, East Jamaica, North East Jamaica, West Jamaica and North Jamaica Conferences.

The man, who was known for his humour, would have loved the tribute paid by nephew Garfield Forbes who had the packed congregation in the church hall laughing uproariously.

Forbes described the patriarch as a dignified stately black man who was endowed with the strength of horses and enriched with a power of thought analogous to the great thinkers of all times.

He said he was not a man swayed by the might of men nor by their tradition for like Enoch, he walked with God and the spirit of discernment was with him.

He would 'oppose' or intercept 'brother teacher' or 'my learned friend' only if he deemed their argument 'not according to Scripture' or simply not compliant with good reason or common sense.

As a mason he ensured that nothing was out of plumb and he even took that meticulousness to the farm where he hoed his furrows in straight lines, dead parallel to each other.

His son Pastor Arlington Woodburn said in tribute to his father the children would be establishing a scholarship fund for needy students who attend the Northern Caribbean University (NCU).

Pastor Woodburn said his siblings and himself will be contributing a percentage of their salary to the fund and the offering that was collected at the service will be the start of the fund.

President of NCU Dr Herbert Thompson who delivered the homily said "Brother Woodburn's life was a ministry".

He likened the life of the deceased to that of the character in the poem 'Abou Ben Adhem'.

Maas Claude was interred in the Newport SDA church cemetery.

Text and photos by Glendon Baker