Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth – Garfield Lawson Anthony Cole, Affectionately called “Cookie” or “Lawson” was a jovial person and was always giving jokes.

“The most humorous of all was at age four when he took an egg, placed it at the door way, stooped over it for while, then cackle like an hen and left the egg there,,” recalled brother Collin White in the remembrance during a thanksgiving service at the St Matthew’s Anglican Church in Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth.

Lawson passed away on February 16, at his Windsor Drive home Santa Cruz. He was 41.

He is survived by sons; Garfield Jr, Rhomaine and Kimani, mother Maisie, father Hugh, dear friend Ionie, two sisters, Collette and Nydia, four brothers; Collin, Hugh Jr, Marc, and Aston, grandmother Alice, Nieces, Nephews, and other relatives and a host of friends.

The third child for Maisie Johnson and second for Hugh Cole, he grew up at Park District, just outside Santa Cruz. He received his early education at Leeds All Age School with his older siblings Nydia and Collin.

When his brother and sister moved on to high school- St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) – he wanted to go with them and his mother moved him to the Santa Cruz Primary School, not far from STETHS. At age ten he was successful in the Common Entrance examination in his second attempt and went on to Munro College.

At Munro, he did well academically and in sports. His football skills earned him a place on the school’s under-16 team and subsequently on the daCosta Cup team but his dreams were shattered when he sustained a broken leg.

After leaving school he played club football for Foster Youths and a number of other teams in St Elizabeth’s top league.

He worked at Daley’s supermarket and also at Nembhard’s Esso Service station b efore moving on to Knox College and then CAST (now Utech) to further his education – completing a diploma in accounting.

At Knox, he served as captain of the college football team and is remembered as having displayed good leadership skills in a number of areas.

After graduating from CAST he worked with accounting firms in Kingston and in St. Ann before returning to St Elizabeth where he was employed at the Parish Council in charge of the Santa Cruz Market.

He subsequently left the Parish Council and joined the Max Value (Jerry) Supermarket where he served up to the time of his death.

Interment took place at the cemetery of the St Matthew’s Anglican Church.

– Michael McLean