KINGSTON, Jamaica- The staff and students of Half-Way-Tree Primary are mourning the loss of physical education teacher Jermaine Jones, who died Friday evening after he reportedly suffered a stroke a few days earlier.

His wife, Janice Jones, a vice principal of Wolmer’s Boys’ School, confirmed that her 45-year-old husband, Jermaine, suffered a stroke while heading to work on Monday last week. He was admitted to the University Hospital of the West Indies on Monday morning and then died on Friday evening.

“He died on Friday night, it is a devastating loss, but we are being supported by friends and family. Jermaine had a pre-existing condition as he had open heart surgery in 2017 but he had been fine,” Jones said.

Jermaine is survived by his wife and three children.

Carol O’Connor Clarke, principal of the Half-Way-Tree Primary, called Jones’ death a “terrible loss” as he had worked as a physical education teacher for 25 years at the institution.

“He was loved by parents and students. He always arrived at school early that says a lot about his dedication. He was a very loyal worker who took his job seriously and his interest in his job was remarkable. We’ve lost a great asset, a wonderful colleague and friend,” Clarke said.

“Jermaine was a go-getter, an innovator, he organised and hosted the school’s first ever track meet just last week Saturday (March 16) at the school with over eight schools competing. He has taken the school to new heights. He read the scripture at the school’s 100th anniversary service. We were just on the field together last Saturday so all this is a big shock to us,” the primary school principal added.

There has been mushrooming concern about the number of educators dying suddenly, pushing the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) to commission a study to determine if there is a corollary between the stress levels that educators face in the classroom and their mental and physical state of being.

— Claude Mills