BLACK RIVER, St Elizabeth — The St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation honoured the “legacy” of Black River’s first mayor, John Hylton Delisford (JHD) Parchment, by hosting a formal ceremony involving his family and leading citizens of the parish at its recent monthly meeting.

The ceremony marked the 100th anniversary month of the first mayor who was born on April 5, 1922 in Newcombe Valley, St Elizabeth.

Parchment was elected to the St Elizabeth Parish Council in 1947 as a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillor at age 25. He served as the first mayor of Black River from 1971 to 1973. He was conferred with the Order of Distinction, Officer Class in October 2006 for his outstanding contribution to rural development, governance, and local government.

He died in November 2006 at age 84.

Speakers at the function, including Custos of St Elizabeth Beryl Rochester, current mayor of Black River Derrick Sangster, CEO of the municipality Errol Lebert, who read a citation, and Parchment’s daughter Sharon Parchment Scott, spoke of the pioneering mayor as a man who gave dedicated and life-long service.

Rochester said JHD Parchment’s life was an example to all those who aimed “to build something greater than ourselves” and to “leave the world a better place than we found it”. His legacy of service to others had lived on in his children, including Political Ombudsman Donna Parchment-Brown, said Rochester.

Sangster, who grew up knowing Parchment as an “exceptional human being” and a “great friend” of his own father, recalled spending “iconic moments” at his house.

“JHD Parchment’s life was a life of love extended to his family, friends, parishioners, and countrymen, and so today we remember him, and we salute him,” Sangster said, before formally presenting the citation of honour to Parchment’s nephew, George Watson.

In the citation, JHD Parchment was remembered as a man of many parts who operated a travel agency and was also involved in farming, transportation, and even shoemaking. For more than 30 years he was also an avid letter writer to The Gleaner newspaper, the citation said.

Delivering the vote of thanks, Parchment’s daughter Sharon said her father saw local government as critical to national development.

Several councillors also paid tribute. The JHD Parchment First Mayor of Black River Memorial Day awards were presented to Black River Hospital, St Elizabeth Police Division, Newell High School, and Newell People’s Co-operative Bank.

— Garfield Myers