Farewell Roger

Hundreds packed the St. George’s Anglican Church in Savanna-La-mar, Westmoreland to celebrate the life of the late Roger Clarke.

There were glowing tributes from many, including Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller who recalled fond memories of the late Minister of Agriculture and Member of Parliament for Central Westmoreland.

“A man with an undying love for Jamaica, champion farmer, special person, a giant of a man, an affable leader, a gentle giant, a man for all seasons, a phenomenal Jamaican patriot….” Simpson Miller said.

A longstanding member of the ruling PNP, Roger Clarke, a veteran parliamentarian, was one of the largest sugar cane farmers in the country.

He entered politics at the Local Government level in 1986, serving the southern parish of St. Elizabeth as a councilor and also as Mayor of Black River.

In 1991 he entered the House of Representatives as Member of Parliament for North East St. Elizabeth and shortly after was promoted to Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture. He also served as served as Local Government Minister and in 1998 returned to the Ministry of Agriculture as the senior minister - a post he held for 10 years.

During that period he became a founding member of the Alliance of Ministers of Agriculture for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), serving as chairman for a number of years.

In January 2012, following the victory of the PNP in the general election, Clarke returned to the Ministry of Agriculture where he remained until his death.

Roger Clarke died from a suspected heart attack on August 28, while returning home from Florida where he had gone for back surgery.

He will be buried at his hometown Glen Isley, Williamsfield, in Westmoreland.