SIXTY-YEAR-OLD, Winston George Northover, founder of the Rehabilitation Boys’ Home and managing director of W G Northover & Associates, was on Saturday hailed as a selfless leader who always lived for others.

The thanksgiving service celebrating his life was held at New Life Assembly of God Church located off Constant Spring Road in Kingston .

Northover made his transitionon April 28 after suffering heart failure.

The service celebrating Northover’s life, begun with a praise and worship session hosted by a team from New Life Assembly of God Church.

Northover fathered over twenty children, who were either biologically connected to him or adopted.

His children, Eric, Christal, Wone, Wayne Northover, Darion Northover, Patrina Northover, Lauren Northover and Devine James were the first in line to express their feelings of the great man they once called ‘father’ during the tributes session.

According to Zara and Christal Northover, two of his eldest daughters, Northover was a magnificent father to all his children.

“I know that you know that we know that this man was amazing,” Zara said loudly as she begun to speak.

“His birth was the day a legend was born. He was a motivator and a man who truly knew how to evoke every emotion in you. He was a man who never liked the word ‘can’t’. He was a friend, mentor, angel and saviour to many. His life was a life lived for others. He loved people and he wanted us to put away our differences,” Zara said.

Christal reminisced on the many stories she could recall of her father’s childhood days. She said, what stood out the most about him as a youth was the fact that he had a drive for creativity, innovativeness and was entrepreneurially driven.

“As a child he was a hard worker. He lost his father at the age of 16 and he promised him that he would never give up and became a provider and patriot for his siblings,” she said.

“He was destined to be a leader. Once he saved and sold popcorn and peanuts in the streets and his business grew. As he advanced he never left his siblings behind and ‘sharing’ was his middle name,” Christal said.

Zara in ending recalled one of their father’s favourite proverbs – “A man is not a failure because he tried and failed, but because he fails to try.”

On April 28, the day Northover died, Zara posted a Tweet through her Twitter account which stated “Today I lost the man of my dreams… Today I gained an angel on high”.

His other children and grandchildren offered tributes, mainly recited poems fitting for the mood of the day’s celebration.

The most memorable tribute of the service was offered by Beryl Northover, sister of the deceased. Beryl went to the altar without any paper or technological devices, but openly spoke when offering her tribute.

“Today is the last day that we will see Winston Northover. He was a mentor. We had no idea he would have turned out to be who he was. He was so small when he was born. He was loving, caring, he was the gift of God,” Beryl, who spoke whole heartedly told the mourners during her tribute.

“The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh. He has joined the wonderful Land of Angels and the ten thousands on the other side. We will see him again. Let us rejoice and give God thanks for Winston Northover,” she said before leaving the altar.

Northover was widely known for starting a Rehabilitation Boys’ Home in Jamaica. Since becoming a member of New Life Assembly of God Church, he along with others begun inviting street boys between the ages of 6 and 18 years for food, clothing and shelter. On numerous occasions, he ventured to foreign countries to lobby for assistance to grow his outreach initiative. In 1995, Northover started WG Northover & Associates Limited. For almost two decades, these two organisations were his focus.

Northover was buried in Dover, St Mary in his family’s plot.