Tears and cheers for Rose Allen

BY INGRID BROWN Sunday Observer senior staff reporter browni@jamaicaobserver.com

Sunday, April 25, 2010

IT was hard for family members, friends and co-workers to say goodbye yesterday to senior Observer paginator Rosemarie "Rose" Allen.

Tears and tributes flowed freely for one who touched the lives of all who knew her. Not even the refrains from the choir's rendition of "No tears" could make her earthly departure any more bearable for the scores of mourners who packed the thanksgiving service at the New Testament Church of God Miracle Tabernacle off Waltham Park in St Andrew. The smiling picture of Allen, nestled between a beautiful array of floral wreaths surrounding the casket, brought back fond memories and did little to ebb the flow of tears.

But in between sobs, a number of people took comfort in remembering Allen as a decent human being -- a hard and dedicated worker to her co-workers, confidante to her friends and a rose to her family.

Some people recited poems penned just for her, some said goodbye in songs while others recalled fond memories -- unrehearsed from their hearts.

Observer senior photo editor Michael Gordon gave his last harmonica performance for Allen, playing a heartfelt rendition of If I could help somebody as I travel along then my living shall not be in vain.

Observer employee Michelle McDonald-Williams also summed up what many felt in her song to Allen, It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.

Vernon Davidson, the Observer's executive editor -- publications, could not hold back the tears as he paid tribute to Allen, whom he had worked with for the past 15 years.

Remembering her as one who sat at her desk diligently doing her work without complaining, Davidson said that was "simply how Rose was, always working without complaining, even when conditions were not perfect, and setting an example for her younger colleagues to follow".

He reminded the mourners that under the calm and warm demeanour Allen possessed a "wicked sense of humour", and never failed to respond to any friendly taunt with equal cunning and wit.

"There is no doubt that Rose's passing has hit us really hard, and up to last night (Friday) when we were putting the finishing touches to today's paper, colleagues were still shaking their heads in disbelief (that she is gone)," he said, as he broke down in tears, causing many of his colleagues to do the same.

"Rest in peace, Rose... our loss is heaven's gain," he said.

In his tribute, chief executive officer of the Observer Edward Khoury said Allen's death represents a great loss for the Observer family. "It is extremely difficult to find words to express the grief," he said.

Pointing out that in eight days she would have celebrated her 15th anniversary at the company, Khoury said these were undoubtedly some of her best years.

"Some employees pass through a company and never leave a testimony of their mark but this could never be said about Rose," he said.

A testament to this, he added, was Allen's willingness to take on even the hardest tasks, shunned by others, and still excel at it. This dedication was evident in the fact that she spent hours just before her death paginating pages of the Observer publication Chat!, although she was not feeling well.

"April 7, the day Allen died, will be remembered as a dark day for the Observer family," Khoury said.

Describing her as a friend to many, confidante to some and a bedrock to others, Khoury said it will be difficult to replace her.

"On behalf of the Observer family and our chairman Gordon "Butch" Stewart, I extend deepest sympathies to her family and friends... fly away now, Rosemarie, and may your soul be at peace," he concluded.

The tributes penned by Allen's close friends and family members -- among them relatives Karen Campbell and Anthony Boothe and good friends Marva Lindo, Shamado Michaels and Howard Campbell -- all described her as a kind, loving person who never said 'no' to anyone. They said Allen would be greatly missed.

Allen's inability to say 'no' was not only reserved for family members and friends, as several people remembered her as the person they could call on to either help them out of "a tight financial spot" or to assist them with securing a job at the Observer.

Minister Darron Pusey, who moderated the ceremony, said listening to the glowing tributes from co-workers and friends made him imagine the grief being felt by the family.

"As I listened to the different tributes from the Observer I just reflect on the fact that she was such a good person... someone you want to be around for a very long time," he said.

"Sometimes people die and the company was dying to get rid of them because they were like devils from hell, but the family can take comfort that this was not the case for Rose," Pusey quipped.

And the family did take comfort in this as they, along with several people in the congregation, began praising God as Allen's friend Silvia belted out the song Not my will but thine be done.

Pastor John Hardy, who delivered a short but meaningful ceremony, encouraged the family members to take comfort in the scripture 1 Thessalonians 4:18: "Wherefore comfort one another with these words".

"In spite of the sting of death there is hope. I would like to say to you be comforted because there is hope and today will not be Rose's last day," he said.

At the end of the nearly three-hour long service, pall-bearers rolled the casket to the waiting hearse, as the choir formed a guard of honour and many finally bade their silent goodbyes to a sweet Rose.

Her body was later interred at Dovecot in St Catherine.

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