BY ALICIA SUTHERLAND

Observer staff reporter

sutherlanda@jamaicaobserver.com

MANDEVILLE, Manchester — After years in the British Army stationed in different countries in the Middle East, a job opening in the local bauxite/alumina industry led Scottish-born Ronald Elrick Anderson, a trained geologist, to Jamaica in the 1950s.

The 85-year-old, reportedly one of the longest-surviving Alcan executives, was involved in the early years of expansion in the industry, and became a naturalised Jamaican.

He passed away at his home in Mandeville on September 27 after a prolonged illness.

At the thanksgiving service at the St Paul of the Cross Cathedral in the parish to celebrate his life this month, he was remembered for his quarter century at the then Alcan Jamaica, service to the Ewing Lodge, Rotary Club of Mandeville, Scientific Research Council, the Geological Society, Jamaica Gypsum, as founding member of the Archaeological Club of Jamaica, and director of the Global Travel Service, which is still operated by his wife of 58 years, Jean Seaga-Anderson.

Peggy Russell, who took over as his secretary/administrative assistant at Alcan following now Mayor of Mandeville Brenda Ramsay, said that Anderson was knowledgeable on almost every subject and shared information willingly.

She said that at the time she took on the role, his responsibilities were expanded to include contracts administration, shipping, scheduling of ships for export of alumina and imports of raw materials, collection of weather information and tracking of hurricanes during the hurricane season.

“We were directly linked by computer to the weather station in Texas as we had to ensure accurate information was available to the locations and passed on to them as we got it. Our side of the Alcan offices… became the hub. We had the answer to almost everything,” said Russell.

She said he was a kind and gentle individual who did not hold a grudge, and even when she tried to start an argument about his smoking habit he would not argue.

His son-in-law Brian Wight said that Anderson, affectionately called ‘Ron’, could spend hours telling stories about his “incredible” life and travels without telling the same story twice.

He said that he had a real appetite for current affairs, a dry sense of humour, loved his family, loved walking along the beach and was a collector of shells, driftwood and Arawak artefacts.

“Ron maintained his incredible memory and sense of humour until the end. (He) was loved by those who knew him and this was never more evident than during his long illness. He had a group of close friends, including those he began to call the geriatric club. They were faithful and attentive till the end. All the help and care he received was given with love and genuine concern,” he said.

In a tribute from his three grandchildren, it was said that carrying out his legacy will not be hard because of inherited traits from their grandfather which they possess.

“Now that you are gone, we have the duty of reminding the world of the exemplary human being you were. We love you more than you loved sleeping in, long trips to the grocery store, a good stiff drink, English sausages, coffee, back and foot scratches, old maps, old coins and antiques,” said the tribute.

Custos of Manchester, Sally Porteous; former Prime Minister of Jamaica and brother-in-law to Anderson, Edward Seaga; leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Andrew Holness; Mayor of Mandeville, Brenda Ramsay; brother-in-law and attorney Hugh Hart; JLP constituency caretaker in Central Manchester Dr St Aubyn Bartlett, and Speaker of the House and South Manchester Member of Parliament, Michael Peart were among those present at the thanksgiving service to pay their last respects.