ACTIVITIES in the busy town of Linstead in St Catherine came to a standstill yesterday as hundreds turned out to bid farewell to Basil ‘Bagga’ Brown, a man hailed by many as their local hero.

Parliamentarians, entertainers, religious leaders, media practitioners, and even women professing their childhood crushes on Brown, joined grief-stricken relatives in the crammed Linstead Baptist Church to pay homage to one of television’s most popular personalities.

Those who couldn’t find seats inside the venue either made themselves comfortable under a tent equipped with television screens and speakers, or listened to the service from any spot they could find out on the roads close to the church.

Like the varied congregation, tributes offered to Brown reflected the many different lives he touched during his 60 years.

Family friend, Judith McKinley, spoke of a wonderful relationship between herself and Brown, emphasising his strong Christian courage even in his last days.

A similar reflection was offered by Rosemarie Cargill, another of Brown’s friends, who sparked laughter as she described Brown walking through his hometown in “white tennis shorts, with his sexy legs”.

The laughter was short-lived, however, as sombre renditions from singer Judy Mowatt, and saxophonist Dean Frazer, among others, left members of the congregation weeping.

Brown’s former classmates from Calabar High School also offered a musical tribute. One of them explained how his name changed from the childhood taunt of ‘Bag of Bones’ to ‘Bagga Brown’, a character many Jamaicans grew to love.

Gary Allen, managing director at the RJR Communications Group, also offered tribute on behalf of the company. He spoke of the many rhymes Brown would make while greeting him on the compound.

“He would say ‘remember to be healthy, it will help you even when you are wealthy,'” said Allen, smiling as he reflected on Brown’s way of “making everyone feel they were special to him”.

Perhaps the most touching tribute, however, was offered by Brown’s son, Shakir, who, while grieving his father’s passing, said he was happy he made the transition into glory.

“As it was difficult for me to watch the man who has nurtured and sought to protect my sisters and I from the strains and rigours of childhood and young adulthood, suffer the pain he did,” he said.

“My father was a great father, he dedicated himself to preparing me and my siblings to become good citizens,” continued Shakir. “My father was a philanthropist, and he demonstrated this through many children’s homes and charities… I saw him as the man in charge,” he said.

Brown’s older sister, Marcia Constable, spoke of how proud her brother made her, and said she was happy he became a Christian before he died.

“One day that made a difference to him was when he met Jesus. His relationship with Jesus was his prized possession,” she said. “Take your relationship with Jesus seriously, that is the best thing you could do for Bagga,” she told mourners.

The salutations followed a chaotic rush by mourners to view and photograph Brown’s remains, which lay in a cream casket which was trimmed with gold and had a transparent lid. Even in the chaos, sorrow was etched vividly on some faces.

Ripples of excitement ran through the crowd on the announcement that entertainers Tarrus Riley and Beenie Man were among those slated to deliver tributes to Brown, but this was quickly quelled when it became apparent that they would not show.

Brown — who was known best for his popular vox pop feature ‘Weh Yuh Seh?’ which airs on TVJ — succumbed to bone cancer at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) shortly after 6:00 am on January 30.

He had been ailing for months and had been hospitalised on multiple occasions before his passing. His body was interred at the Dovecot Memorial Park.