Jamaica Has Lost One of The Giants of Our Time
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has expressed deep sadness at news of the passing of one of modern Jamaica’s business and media giants, Hon. Oliver F. Clarke OJ.
Prime Minister Holness has extended condolences to Mr. Clarke’s family, friends and colleagues.
In a statement, Prime Minister Holness noted:
“News of the death of the Hon. Oliver F. Clarke has left me deeply saddened.
I had known that he was very ill but knowing the fighter that he was, I was hopeful that this battle would not be his last. For decades Oliver straddled the Jamaican business community like a Colossus. From his time as an Assistant General Manager at the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) to his last major role as Chairman of the RJRGleaner Communications Group, Oliver has been a major player in many aspects of the Jamaican and regional private sector. He may very well be lionized for the monumental role he played in moving the Gleaner Company into one of the most powerful newspapers in the English speaking Caribbean after he joined the company in 1976. Later he would play a leading role along with the late J Lester Spaulding in overseeing its merger with the Radio Jamaica Limited (RJR) to create one of the largest media conglomerates in the region.”
Prime Minister Holness also hailed Mr. Clarke’s contribution to the wider development of Jamaica.
“For those who knew him, Oliver was more than a media giant. His role in shaping the development of the nation as a leader of the local private sector can never be discounted. As President of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica between 2002 and 2003, President of the Inter American Press Association, and a member of the board of directors for several major private sector entities, Oliver provided sound judgement and a calming presence.”
In 1998, Oliver Clarke was awarded the Order of Jamaica. A year earlier in 1997, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ).
Prime Minister Holness in extending condolences to Mr. Clarke’s widow, Monica, and daughter Maria Alexandra, noted that Jamaica will be poorer for his passing.