Dear Editor,

Captain Horace Burrell gave new meaning to the not so flattering phrase, “Go to France.” This he did in 1998 when he took with him the likes of Carl Brown, Jamaica’s most successful coach to date; another captain in the person of the gentle giant Warren Barrett; the present national coach, the wily Theodore “Tappa”’ Whitmore”; Harbour View’s premiership coach, the ever youthful Ricardo “Bibby” Gardner; and a host of other courageous men dubbed the Reggae Boyz.

After graduation from Clarendon College, young Horace Burrell found his way to the St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), at the time a new and pristine school that was half his age. There he made his mark on the fledgling cadet corps; there he left an indelible stamp on the camera club.

In fact, it was Mr Burrell, as he was known back then, who prepared all the photos for the 1971 graduation magazine. The pictures were all black and white, but the entire school community praised him for his colourful input — except for one, deggeh-deggeh student who felt that justice had not been done to what he considered to be his handsome profile. Menacingly he approached and inquired of the young staff member: “Sir, is this really me?” The photographer was quick on the draw: “The answer my friend is in the negative.” The friendship lasted for a lifetime.

It was at STETHS that Burrell met and married the beautiful Southfield teenager, Lourea Simpson, who later became the founder of Cake World; it was to this entity more than anything else that the Captain’s Bakery owed its enormous success.

At STETHS, Burrell was hardly involved with football, like two other young staff members: J C Hutchinson, from Munro and later a parliamentarian; and former FIFA referee Steve Bucknor from Cornwall College.

After STETHS Burrell joined the army and became an officer and a more refined gentleman. Through the influence of one Major Barnes, the father of the famous John Barnes, Captain Burrell became the manager of the Jamaica Defence Force team.

The army was Captain Burrell’s launching pad into the world of football. He was confident that he was destined for greatness in this arena; so much so that in the early 90s he told a young journalist: “Andrews, I am 45, and everything I put my hand to has succeeded. I’m going to take Jamaica to the next World Cup!” He did. He reminded us, though, that Jamaica does not have a God-given right to go to every World Cup. He was right. Let’s not forget that Cuba and Haiti have been there before us; Trinidad and Tobago followed us.

Today, while we mourn the passing of Captain, who gave so much to his country in business and to sports, let us be thankful for life — his and ours. Our living and ability to give are gifts from God. May we never forget the words of Ernie Smith that life is just for living, as well as the more poignant ones from Rene Simoes’s famous road-to-France slogan: Jesus saves!

Delano Palmer

delanopalmer@ymail.com