BRUCE Rickards, a former director of Grace, Kennedy and Company Limited, died on Saturday of an apparent heart attack at the Nuttall Hospital. He was 72.

“He was down with a slight heart problem,” Rickards’ brother-in-law, Mike Fennell, confirmed last night.

Fennell, who is president of the Jamaica Olympic Association, (JOA) told the Observer that he visited Rickards at mid-day. “I went to see him and we spoke… it was sort of joking…” he recalled.

In 1951, Rickards began his career at Grace, Kennedy and was appointed co-deputy managing director in 1987.

“He worked at Grace, Kennedy for 43 years, and when he retired, he was a director of the company,” Fennell said. He added that even after Rickards retired from the company he continued to maintain close contacts.

Rickards was also managing director of Domestic Sales Limited; director of Harbour Cold Stores Limited, Fish Importers Limited, Paper Processors Limited and Lipton (Ja) Limited.

He was a president of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC), the Importers and Distributors Association, and the National Aids Committee of Jamaica.

He was also chairman of the Jamaica/America Medical Assistance Committee, (JaMAC) a charity agency, and a member of the Kingston College Board of governors.

Rickards was educated at Half-Way-Tree Primary School and Kingston College.

He was awarded the Prime Minister’s Medal in 1983 and the Commander of the Order of Distinction in 1985.

Rickards was also a justice of the peace and was married to Marjorie Fennell, a former champion of the Jamaica Women’s Hockey team.

Fennell said his brother-in-law, who was a great business leader of his time, will be remembered for his “impeccable integrity”.