A strong-willed, loving and unselfish woman who always offered of herself to help those in need, Jennifer Samuda was the consummate giver and a skin care person extraordinaire.

The celebration for the life of Jennifer Samuda, founder and former principal of Jencare Skin Farm, was held at the Bethel Baptist Church in St Andrew on Saturday, March 19.

A skincare pioneer and a visionary in the field of spa and cosmetics, Samuda lived and worked to improve the lives of all who came in contact with her. This was evident by the overwhelming support she received from family members, friends and well-wishers who went to pay their final respects to a woman who revolutionised the regional spa and skincare industries.

The church pews were full to capacity half an hour before the actual service began which lead to the front lawn being utilised in an effort to seat mourners.

The tributes poured in, starting with renowned saxophonist, Dean Fraser, who played a wonderful rendition of

Bridge Over Troubled Waters.

Former United States Ambassador to Jamaica, Pamela Bridgewater, in her tribute described Samuda as “an amazing woman who lived an amazing life and whose love for others and their welfare had an inestimable wingspan”.

Samuda’s daughter and owner of the Nexgen Skincare line of products, Peta-Gaye Samuda-Palmer, after reading the poem “When Great Trees Fall” in tribute to her mother, described her as “a real Jamaican mom”, one whose “backbone in the face of adversity was both exceptional and most commendable”. She lauded her mom for taking “little nothings” and turning them into “big somethings”.

Samuda-Palmer reminded and apologised to all bachelorettes, as well as her father Lloyd Samuda, that her mom had told her shortly before she passed away that under no circumstance should she and her brother Michael allow their father to remarry. This elicited much amusement from the congregation.

Former Prime Minister of Jamaica, PJ Patterson, who read the first lesson, said that the passage of Proverbs 21:10-31 seemed to be written exactly for Samuda, as it described her entire being.

In the remembrance, H Wayne Powell recalled Samuda as a “unique human being who fulfilled her passion to make her life a full one”. Samuda, a St Jago High School alumna, was born to Isaiah and Myrtle Burke on March 24, 1955 in Linstead, St Catherine. It is from this spring that she would move on to revolutionise the skincare industry. After leaving high school, Samuda started working as a banker and did various stints at several financial institutions including Barclays and Citibank. During all of this, however, Powell reminded the congregation that Samuda grew even more humble and “made God a guiding light for all her actions”.

She was remembered as the “best friend one could ever have”.

“Jenny treated friendship as a living thing that needed to be sustained” which lead to her developing a wide customer and friendship base. “Charity and benevolence were hallmarks of her persona,” he added.

Married to the love of her life, Lloyd, for over 40 years, Samuda created and developed an international personal brand for which she received several awards. f They included the World Quality Award, Who-Is-Who Award, International Star for Quality, Kiwanis Club Award for Professionals and the 21st Century Award for Cosmetics, Bureau of Standards Award. She was also a member and the Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander.

Delivering the homily, Father Burchell Taylor, reminded the congregation that love is the essence of everything that is good and told that them that although Samuda’s passing had inflicted grief and sorrow, they mustn’t be too pained, but rather celebrate the life she lived and ensure that her legacy lives on through their daily lives.