Edward Smith

Johann W. Van Gerthe once said “A useless life is an early grave”. Luckily for my farther; Edward Smith this never applied to the extraordinary life her lived. Edward Smith “One Son” was the son of Christina Polson and Edward Smith Sr, born January 9, 1943. He left behind four sisters: Tiny, Carro, Elizabeth and Etlyn. One son attended Mannings Hill Elementary after which he ventured into the field of construction where he honed his skill as a Master of Masonry. He however never limited his craft, my dad exemplified himself as an exceptional carpenter. Throughout his formative years he met our mom Jean and their union produced four children, Maureen, Lascelles, Dawn and Debbie. The home we all grew up in on Kingswood road, Stony Hill Jamaica was proudly built by our dad. His zest for life and willingness to lend a hand had no limits and this was evident in the aftermath of hurricane Gilbet September 12, 1988. Edward was there for all of us including the entire community. In the midst of the storm he would be walking around and checking with the neighbors in an effort to ensure that everyone was doing ok. He went as far as to reinstall blown off roofs from the neighbor’s house while the storm was underway. As soon as there was a lull in the storm he ran up the street to a family friend; aunt Tiny to make sure that household was great also. Exactly two weeks after my daughter Shawna-Kay was born, post hurricane Gilbert. One son was always a jovial and light hearted person with that sparkling pair of eyes, warm sunshine of a smile with a joke that has always accompanied the smile. This will always resonate with us. One son was the natural life of any party. He loved life and expressed this in his compulsion to dance and dance and dance. Yes, those long loping legs were always shaking to the beat of a “Great Jane”. Lightheartedly smiling while having pure therapeutic fun would really describe my dad. One Son surely passed on that passion for dancing to his grandson; Dwayne. Yes, that DNA is all daddy dancing personified. It was 29 years ago that One Son came to this country where he fulfilled his purpose of being among us. One Son had a way of maintaining such beautiful, meaningful, lasting relationship and friendship with almost everyone he came across. (We ourselves hear about such relationship but may never find it.) One such relationship was that with Vinnette Mattis, who on February 17, 2001 because Vinnette Smith. He then naturally became a father for two more wonderful people; Renaldo and Recaldo. Our dad was diagnose with stomach cancer in April of 2018. He commenced treatment upon diagnoses immediately and maintained great and unwavering optimism throughout the entire process. He would be the one to reassure us that all will be fine instead of the other way around. He most certainly had a way of making the hardest realities of life that more acceptable. However on October 3rd 2018 dad finally yielded to the illness and journeyed to the place of everlasting peace where I am truly confident that the will to dance is still alive and well. You daddy dance on into the sunset, we all love you, we miss you, but we know that you are dancing on golden floors there and it is well, yes it is well with your soul.

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