Oliver Fredrick Clarke

THE GLEANER, THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | E11 EricaVirtue/Senior GleanerWriter BARRINGTON DEER was one of the closest associates of the man affectionately called ‘OFC’, reporting to him for 28 of his 32 years at The Gleaner Company. Deer, from the gritty south St Andrew community of Arnett Gardens, said he did not cry when his own father died but choked up at the loss of the late media mogul Oliver Frederick Clarke. They were each other’s confidants, he said. He got a job at TheGleaner Company in 1988 – just after the country had been walloped by Hurricane Gilbert. “I began reporting to him in 1992. He was a gem of a person, humble beyond words. Very strict and principled. He ruffled feathers with his pen, but it was for the best interest of Jamaica,” Deer, a bearer, said during an interview yesterday. Deer said that shortly after Clarke’s cancer diagnosis, he encouraged him to write his memoirs, but Clarke said it was too much fuss. “ That man make me know things. Take me to places that I have never been. And he always say, ‘Nobody is ever bad before his eyes. But what he would always do is give everyone enough rope. ... You had to prove yourself bad,” said Deer. “He looked out for my family. He celebrated my daughter’s secondary-school examination success with us as a family, took us all to the circus that was here. He had a heart,” said Deer, who visited him last Thursday, rubbing his head three days before he took his last breath. Their final exchanges will remain sacred, said Deer, much like many other conversations the contents of which will never be told. Gillian Blackstock was tasked with serving all Clarke’s meals at The Gleaner Company for the last 20 years and learnt over the years his dietary dos and don’ts. “He would never embarrass you if something was on the plate that he shouldn’t eat. After the meeting, he would remind you that he does not take whether sugar or something else. He wasn’t a picky eater, either,” she said. Blackstock said he always introduced his guests to her and made her feel appreciated at his meetings. “He was a very kind man and a man of his word. He always asked about what we were interested in, asked what we were doing, and questioned us about how far we were in pursuit of that. “I miss him long before this. But this is permanent. I don’t know how I am going to manage,” she said yesterday. Deer Clarke – The friend Oliver Clarke’s Deer riend F O LIVER CLARKE was simultaneously kind, witty, irreverent and oft times, deliberately annoying. Those characteristics could be discerned after even a brief interaction with him. However, not as easily perceived was that Oliver was deeply nationalistic and had an easy rapport with ordinary Jamaicans. He had a deep commitment to the preservation of mutual institutions in the financial sector. That commitment was manifest in his decades-long leadership of the Jamaica National Group. To this end, his prime concern was that the small shareholders would remain the central focus of the organization. I clearly recollect receiving a telephone call from Oliver in the midst of the financial crisis. After a pointed reminder from him that the institutions, which had stayed true to the principles of mutuality, had remained viable, he said: “The crisis is such that we need all hands on deck. For several reasons, I believe that I can help and I’m available”. After consultations with Prime Minister Patterson, Oliver was asked to assume the position of Executive Chairman of NCB. He accepted the offer and remained in that position until the entity was divested. His statement “for several reasons, I believe that I can help” was not solely a reference to his accountancy skills. It was also an acknowledgement of the unique role which someone of his socio-economic background could play, given the structure of the economy as well as the composition of the leadership of the private sector. Oliver’s appointment calmed the concerns of the “captains” of industry; at the same time, not even his most extreme critics questioned whether his decision-making would be biased. His death provides us with the opportunity to explore more fully assess the contributions to national development of Oliver and other Jamaicans of a similar background. His daughter’s tribute to him alluded to the guidance he provided to her in contextualizing her position in society. A personal anecdote provides an example of his “guidance” to her. Once I invited Oliver to a football match at the Arnett stadium. He accepted the invitation and came with his (then) little daughter, Alexandra. When I offered them refreshments, he said that having been given free admission, he felt that he should buy “drinks” for everyone sitting in his row in the stands. Furthermore, Alex would take the orders, purchase the drinks and then serve those who had ordered. Carrying out these tasks meant that Alex spent the entire match going up and down the steps of the stands, serving her patrons. Anyone who knows the composition of an Arnett home crowd would appreciate that a “drinks” girl looking like Alex would stand out. I remember asking Oliver the reason for his action. He simply said that Alex had received free entry to the game so she was obliged to pay back in some way. Oliver was a unique individual. My family and I extend sincere condolences to Monica and Alex. DR OMAR DAVIES Dr. Omar Davis Minister of Finance with Chairman of Jamaica National Building Society Oliver Clarke and Dr Manuel Orozco Executive Director Remittance and Development project multilateral investment fund of the Inter-American Bank and international fund for Agricultural development of the United Nations at the JNBS/USAID Money Transfer Symposium at the Jamaica Conference Centre on Thursday, June 2, 2005. GLEANER ARCHIVES Witty, irreverent sometimes ‘deliberately annoying’ &