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ribute from Cheryl Rolle- Sagicor Life Eastern Caribbean Inc.
Weaker without him is how I feel and at the same time Stronger together knowing that so many of us loved Berty so much, I met Berty many years ago at congress and he immediately was adopted into my family. I first met him and his beautiful daughter Kim at an awards ceremony in Barbados. Berty was shy and didn’t know many people, after the awards ceremony I invited them to brunch at my sister’s house in Barbados, Kimmie was the age of some of our children so we automatically held her and told her we were all her Aunties. Over the years Berty kept us informed of her schooling, graduation and Marriage his only child. Berty was our silent buddy, who laughed at us half the time and the other half just kept shaking his head wondering how he ended up with these feisty kalinagos from Dominica. Most of my sisters, nieces and nephews knew Berty, we stayed by him in Jamaica. He was the babysitter for our children who went to UWI, my Doctor who did medicine at Mona, my adopted athletes, and my family who I encouraged to bring to Jamaica, Berty met us at the airport drove us to Montego Bay stopping in Fern gully to eat the local food. Once I told Berty that I had always heard of Hedonism Hotel Berty brought us there we were shocked and checked out of the Hotel with Berty laughing at us all the way to another Hotel. Berty came to Dominica for Creole festival and told me he can’t stand up because he had a pain in his foot and he won’t be able to do three nights of no sleep for the festival, I brought him straight to the Doctor they treated him and we went home to unpack. Berty spent half his time trying to run away from me because he was wondering what next, I would come up with. Berty was such a caring person, so unassuming and yet so shy. I always wondered how Berty insured clients he was so shy. I remember Berty telling me its trust and clients asked him advice from buying a house to buying a fridge. Berty’s house was Sagicor all the way to the kitchen with files within his sight everywhere we went in his home. I asked Berty to present at a Congress he was so nervous and yet was the Top producer for many years, I can’t imagine what it will be like to come to Jamaica and not see Berty, He was a gentle giant always in the background at all functions looking and listening, He laughed at himself may times which is a good gift. His daughter was his lifeblood., his dog, bird, flowers, pond etc. will miss him and the cars he had parked when he wasn’t using his truck. Berty spoke to me a few hours before his passing and sounded so strong and promised to call back in a few hours ,I will miss you Berty you were well loved by our Dominica team ,Trinidad called me,, Antigua, St Lucia, Grenada, St Kitts contacted me because they knew how much you meant to my sister and myself. It wasn’t just calls from Team Sagicor from other Insurance Companies as well. I know the Lord has a special place for Berty, I respect and I am thankful for the laughs, drives, hospitality you showed us, We are heartbroken but didn’t want you in pain Rest in Peace my brother 5
