OSHANE ‘KREEMI’ REID – Beat the stereotype by spreading hope and joy to others
“I never met anybody quite like him, I don’t think many people have,” stated his best friend, Ashley Thompson.
Thompson was among hundreds of mourners who attended the recent thanksgiving service to bid farewell to a son, brother, mentor and friend, O’Shane “Kreemi” Reid, at the Emmanuel Apostolic Church on Slipe Road in Kingston.
The huge church hall barely had standing room for the hundreds of mourners who had travelled across the island to pay their last respects to the former student leader. The large turnout at Reid’s service of thanksgiving came as no surprise, as he impacted the lives of many, sometimes sacrificing his own happiness to see others happy and doing well.
Thompson received nods of approval as she described the young entrepreneur. She said his charisma, humility and kindness made him easy to love, which is why his presence, physical or otherwise, resonated with almost everyone he met and even those he didn’t meet personally.
“O’Shane has been a source of inspiration, a beacon of hope. He was a bright light for many who sought to use their past as an excuse for their current place in the future. He had a strong determination to excel and to love beyond the stereotypes that were levelled against him by virtue of his West Kingston address.”
The 23-year-old met his tragic end just over a month ago while travelling to Kingston. He and 22-year-old Shanice R Simmonds were killed in a motor vehicle accident along the Drax Hall road in St Ann.
At the time of his death Reid was a second-year communications Master’s student at the University of the West Indies, Mona, while Simmonds had just completed her first degree.
Reid occupied a number of leadership positions at university, where he gained the respect of staff and students alike. Among the positions held by Reid were – Guild public relations officer and co-founder of Flourish – a group which aims to empower and promote inner-city youth to rise above stereotypes while embracing their real potential and claiming their success.
For the zeal and passion in the way he executed his many positions, Reid amassed numerous accolades, lifelong friends and a host of mentees. They all huddled, pulling inspiration from Reid.
The Flourish prince was taken to Frankfield, Clarendon, where he was buried in the family plot.
