THE altar at the Andrew’s Memorial Seventh-Day Adventist Church in St Andrew bloomed with orchids in tribute to one of the lifelong passions of food scientist, pianist, actor, philanthropist, and orchid enthusiast Ancile Gloudon.

The thanksgiving service for the life of this Trinidad-born “gentle giant”, which was held on Sunday, was replete with glowing tributes as speaker after speaker shared personal anecdotes of his kind-hearted nature, strong sense of family, man of his word, a great example of decency, man of God, and his selfless desire to serve others.

A number of the members of the church who spoke called him father, in reference to his love and guidance in their personal and professional journeys.

Gloudon was husband to renowned Jamaican journalist, radio talk show host, and playwright Barbara Gloudon, whom he predeceased by a matter of days.

“It was bitter-sweet that they celebrated that final anniversary [62 years of marriage] with her in a hospital bed and he in a wheelchair holding the hand of his young chick. They had such a bond that it is not surprising that she went looking for him 11 days after he died. They married at The UWI [The University of the West Indies] Chapel and both died at UWI hospital… so it start, so it end,” shared their daughter Anya Gloudon Nelson as she eulogised her father.

She further noted that true to his giving ways, his body had been donated to science — the medical school at The University of the West Indies, Mona — so that others may learn as he once did. Hence, there was no casket or urn at the church.

“Ancile has a wide range of titles. He was Ancile the orchid hunter, traipsing through the country finding orchids. He found nine new species, which he catalogued in his publication Orchids of Jamaica. There is Ancile the creative, acting on stage and film, directing, writing music, poetry, and short stories. There was Ancile the building contractor working on the JBC [Jamaica Broadcasting Corperation] studios, and for him, his most fulfilling work, the exhibit hall for all the country booths at Carifesta 1976.”

“There was Ancile the entrepreneur making rope hammocks and pepper sauce for sale. Ancile the Gordon Town man. But for us, he was Ancile the family man. Husband to Barbara; father to Lisa, Jason, and Anya; grandfather to Shauna and Naomi; and great-grandfather to Jordan. He read bedtime stories, helped us with homework, taught us to drive. There was nothing better than what he called a ‘tight, tight, tight’ — a hug and a scratchy bearded kiss — that made you forget whatever troubled you and affirmed the great love he had for us all. That is perhaps the greatest thing about this tall, bearded Trini-Jamaican man Ancile Gloudon… that spirit of love. He showed love to one and all, old and young, rich or poor, through many acts of kindness, big or small, and that is who we remember here today,” Gloudon Nelson continued.

The thanksgiving service for his late wife will be held on June 2 at the St Margaret’s Anglican Church in St Andrew.