KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange says she is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of veteran broadcaster and media icon Alma Mock Yen, who died at the age of 97 following a period of illness.

As Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, I extend my heartfelt condolences to her son, Shawn, and the rest of her family, friends, and the entire media fraternity in Jamaica,” Grange said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.

Grange described Mock Yen as a woman of class who distinguished herself in all of what she did for the many years that she spent in public life.

Alma Mock-Yen (X photo: Juliet Holness)

“She was a dancer with her own dance troupe, a journalist, a broadcaster and a lecturer at the University of the West Indies where she was in charge of the Mona Campus Radio Unit for a long period. A pioneer in radio broadcasting, she was in the very first class of the Institute of Mass Communication established at UWI in 1975. She went on to become a broadcast journalism trainer, and lecturer at the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC),” she added.

According to Grange, Mock Yen can be described as ‘The Doyen of contemporary media’ as her contributions were instrumental in shaping the landscape of media education and practice in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.

“Mrs Mock Yen was also one of the pioneering women in politics with her contribution as a parish councillor for the Jamaica Labour Party. Outstandingly, she was one of the youngest school teachers on record, teaching English Language and Literature at Merl Grove High School at age 14. Recipient of the Musgrave Medal and the Order of Distinction, Mrs. Mock Yen mentored generations of journalists, instilling in them the values of integrity, excellence, and dedication. Her legacy in promoting cultural expression through media will continue to inspire us all,” Grange said.