Dear Editor,

I was introduced to Gordon “Butch” Stewart by Ken Gordon many years ago when he, Butch, was interested in starting up a communication company (the newspaper now known as the Jamaica Observer).

Butch contacted Gordon, who at that time was the CEO of the Trinidad Express newspaper, the Nation in Barbados, and Torchlight in Grenada.

With the approval of the board of drectors, of which I was a member, Gordon worked closely with Butch and Dr George Phillip (a close friend of Butch) and gave them some guidance in not only the formation of the company, but also some technical points, so that they would not make the same mistakes we made in the early years of the Express. The Jamaica Observer was created and went on to become a resounding success.

Butch and I became very good friends over the years, and although we were never invested in each other’s companies, we shared our thoughts on business, politics, Caribbean economics, and opportunities. We each played a role of a sounding board to each other when discussing very personal issues, such as family succession planning for our respective groups.

He was full of life and a man who never walked slowly. To describe him in a sentence is extremely difficult, as he had a larger-than-life persona in both business and pleasure. Many people are aware of his success in business, but very few are aware of his unbelievable prowess on jet skis on rough waters; but then, Butch was always a fighter, and rough waters in business or pleasure never daunted him.

The Caribbean region has lost an icon who has created a legacy, and I have lost a true and dear friend.

My deepest condolence to the family.

Arthur Lok Jack

Trinidad