Hundreds of persons came out on Wednesday to pay their final respects to the late president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Captain Horace Burrell, at a Thanksgiving Service at the National Arena in Kingston.
The venue contained a number of local and international football dignitaries that included administrators, coaches and players, with a number of politicians from the region joining others from both the Jamaica Labour Party and the People’s National Party.
Other sporting disciplines in the island were also well represented, during the three-and-a-half-hour long service, as well as representatives from his companies, Captain Bakery and Grill and Captain’s Aviation Services.
Among those who paid tribute to Captain Burrell, in spoken words, were Canadian Victor Montagliani, president of CONCACAF and vice president of FIFA; Curacao’s Rignaal Francisca, acting president of the Caribbean Football Union, Sports Minister Olivia Grange and Portia Simpson-Miller, former Prime Minister of Jamaica.
Bruce Gaynor, JFF’s vice president and Brazilian Rene Simoes, former Reggae Boyz technical director also paid tribute to Captain Burrell at the Thanksgiving Service.
Employees of Captain’s Bakery Norma Fearon-Moody, Alice Gillespie-Clarke and Sharon Irons Francis, together paid tribute to Captain Burrell.
Giving tributes in songs were Ernie Smith, who did “I Believe”, the Jamaica Constabulary Force choir, Richie Stephens who sang “My Way” and Ashe Assembly – the group performing “Rise Up”, which was done to celebrate Jamaica’s qualification to the World Cup in France 1998.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness read the first lesson, with Opposition Leader Dr. Peter Phillips doing the second, Burrell’s friend Julie Jones the third and the fourth done by Captain Burrell’s brothers, Carlton and Edward.
The National Arena was transformed into the national colours of black, green and gold with the stage in black, a yellow cross placed at the centre of the backdrop, which was adorned with green pepper lights.
At each end of the stage were two huge television screens that were placed in cases that were also decorated with black, green and gold trimming.
Captain Burrell, lying in a casket draped on the inside in white, was dressed with a black and yellow tie, black jacket and a sky blue shirt with the bottom of the casket, while being viewed by the large turnout, draped with a flag of Jamaica.
Reverend Adinhair Jones gave the homily and he preached about the resurrection, with Al Miller, who worked closely with Captain Burrell during his tenure as president of the JFF, prayed for the family.
Captain Burrell’s close friend, Horace Reid, a former General Secretary of the JFF, did the eulogy.
The Combined Military Band was also a vital part of the service and their duties included playing the National Anthem at the beginning of the service.
Captain Burrell led the JFF from 1994, excepting for a four-year period.
After ailing for the past year, Captain Burrell passed away on June 6 at the John Hopkins Oncology Centre in Baltimore, USA, where he was undergoing treatment for cancer.
He was 67.
