ERIC Coverley, husband of Jamaica’s Queen of Theatre, Louise Bennett, and himself a theatre impresario, died yesterday in Toronto, Canada, at the age of 91.

Coverley and Bennett moved to Canada in the early 1990s.

“An era has passed,” said Jamaican stage actress, Leonie Forbes.

While he came to be over-shadowed in the world of theatre by his wife, who he “discovered” and brought to public attention, Coverley was one of the early pioneers of the Jamaican theatre.

“With the passing of Eric Coverley, the nation has lost another of its cultural icons,” said Prime Minister P J Patterson in a statement. “His long-time contribution to the arts — performing and visual — was marked by a commitment to excellence and a deep passion for all things good in Jamaica.”

Eric “Chalk Talk” Coverley first achieved prominence as an actor, comic and impresario in the 1930s and 1940s and was half of the comedy duo, Eric and Flo — the Flo being Florizel Glasspole who later became a successful politician and, eventually, the island’s governor-general.

Coverley was the comic and Glasspole the straight man.

Coverley got this Chalk Talk nickname from another of his talents: drawing personalities from simple markings and figures made on a chalk board. He had a substantive job as a draughtsman at the Jamaica Railway Corporation, the first black Jamaican to get the post. He was also a highly respected calligrapher

“I never got money from it and I had lots of personal sacrifices to put on shows,” Coverley said in a 1978 interview. He did what he did, Coverley said, “because of my love of culture and the theatre”.

He, however, got a wife out of his efforts, as well as the country’s appreciation.

Coverley was honoured in 1979, with the Order of Distinction for his contribution to the growth and development of art and culture in Jamaica. In 1980, he received the Institute of Jamaica’s Centenary Medal for drama and dance and more recently, in 1998, he received the Institute’s silver Musgrave Medal for outstanding merit in the performing arts and theatre.

Moreover, it was while scouting talent for one of his shows that Coverley met Louise Bennett, who blossomed into a revered folklorist and dialect poet.

“Marrying Louise was not the greatest thing he ever did but it was the smartest thing,” said Charles Hyatt, the Jamaican actor and comedian.

The Coverleys became a very close couple who appeared to be very much in love.

“When I think of the word marriage, those two come to mind,” said Forbes, who counted herself among the many people who Coverley’s influence helped to steer to the theatre.

“He was one of the reasons I choose, and stayed in, the profession,” Forbes said. “He was a huge help especially to young performers.”

Patterson underlined that point.

According to Patterson, Coverley and his wife gave “their patronage and encouragement to several generations of young artists”.

Professor Rex Nettleford, founder of the National Dance Theatre Company and one of Jamaica’s foremost intellectuals, said Coverley and Bennett were “a great treasure to the people of Jamaica”, representing what Jamaicans care most about.

“He was one of the seminal contributors to our cultural life since Independence. In fact, he set the stage from before that,” Nettleford said.

One of Coverley’s undertakings was designing of floats for parades, particularly in the early days of the island’s Independence.

“Coverley made ornate and elaborate floats,” said journalist and playwright, Barbara Gloudon.

Patterson said that it was ironic that Coverley passed away the very season when the art of float design and building, which lapsed for several years, was revived for Jamaica’s 40th anniversary of Independence.

Nettleford said he had spoken to Bennett yesterday and while she was “naturally sad”, she had accepted her husband’s passing.

“He shall rest in peace,” Nettleford said, “because he deserves it.”