MONTEGO BAY, St James — Late tourism stalwart and People’s National Party (PNP) politician Francis Tulloch was Thursday remembered by former Prime Minister P J Patterson as “a man of the west” during his funeral service at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Montego Bay.

Tulloch, also called “Little David”, although not a native of the region, served as a MP in four constituencies across western Jamaica for 30 years. He died on June 23 at the age of 81.

During the service to celebrate the life of Tulloch, Patterson lauded the late politician and attorney-at-law for his decision to relocate his law practice to the second city. Patterson, in a video tribute to his political colleague, said that while Tulloch’s choice of settling in the west had been viewed by his colleagues as a “professional suicide”, the man was determined to make the western region his home.

“It speaks volume about the qualities and dedications of Francis Anthony Tulloch who was born, schooled and reared in Kingston city that he would, to the very end, be regarded as a ‘man of the west’. This was because he became so engrossed in advancing their cause and welfare that the younger generation would never realise that he was not an original native ‘Bay boy’, but actually belonged to a family in the capital city,” said the former prime minister.

He continued: “We met frequently on the same side in the courts and the fine advocate was making his own impressive mark when to the surprise of us all, he elected to set up his legal practice in Montego Bay. At that time in our legal history, it bordered on professional suicide for a barrister-at-law to move so far away from the seat of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.”

“Moreover, he was warned about the dangers of getting a decent share of legal work for one who had no previous connection with what still called itself the second city. It seemed risky to throw himself at the economic mercy of citizens who were fiercely territorial and still prone to repeated declarations of being a republic. Francis could not be dissuaded. Before we knew it, he arrived in MoBay and settled down to prove his legal competence,” Patterson added.

It wasn’t long until Tulloch was able to “cement his place in the hearts and minds of the people of western Jamaica”, Patterson said of the man who successfully entered the political arena in St James in the year 1972.

“In quick time, he was fully accepted by everyone. He came, he saw, he conquered. Soon his outreach extended well beyond the courts and he began to attract broad political support. He defeated all political odds to emerge as the indisputable leader of Central St James and… as the popular choice to compete electorally against a favoured son of the soil and formidable opponent, Tony Hart. What a glorious campaign, led by Michael Manley, it proved to be,” the former PNP leader said.

“Little David was victorious as his love, genuine desire to uplift the poor and his care for the disadvantaged shone bright in everything that he said and wherever he walked,” Patterson added.

Throughout his three decades of representational politics, the former prime minister noted, Tulloch managed to touch more than just the hearts of the people that he represented. With the wide political reach entrusted upon him, ‘Little David’ is said to have been instrumental in the development of many institutions and facilities that are now being enjoyed across the region.

“He was a staunch advocate for education and his maiden term was crowned with achievements including the construction of the Montego Bay Community College in 1975, Herbert Morrison Comprehensive High School in 1976, and the Cambridge Secondary School,” said Patterson.

The former prime minister continued, “I appointed him minister of tourism in 1997, knowing full well of his insistence and inclusiveness of the marginalised with meaning full development of the hospitality product. His numerous contributions to building a better Jamaica are timeless and his enormous legacy, social, economic and political developments will abide the most exacting of time.”

Noting that no other local politician has successfully been elected to represent four constituencies, Patterson said Tulloch’s political record holds a place in Jamaica’s history.

“There is no one else who spanned the wide expanse of electoral geography that Francis Tulloch achieved in his time at the political wicket. Four constituencies in two parishes — that is a political record,” he said.

– Rochelle Clayton