Howard Campbell, Sunday Gleaner Writer
Charles Hyatt, Angella King and George Phillip
Charles Hyatt was, undoubtedly, one of the funniest men to grace the Jamaican stage. The actor died January 1 from lung cancer in Palm Bay, Florida, aged 75. Hyatt appeared in numerous pantomimes including Busha Bluebeard and Bedward, as well as hit plays such as Smile Orange and Old Story Time. Hyatt also had small roles in hit films like Cool Runnings.
Basil Buck, who was a junior minister in Prime Minister Edward Seaga's government of the 1990s, was found dead at his home in St. Andrew on January 21. The former financial editor of The Gleaner was 72.
Stanley Beckford, Leslie Robinson and Ruth Doorbar
Former assistant general secretary at the United Nations, Angella King, died from cancer in New York City on February 5.
Thelma Manley, the second wife of former Prime Minister Michael Manley, was found dead at her St. Andrew apartment on February 7. The former creative dancer was the mother of Joseph Manley.
For over 60 years, artist David Pottinger captured the passion of downtown Kingston on his canvas. He died February 15. He was 95.
Dr. George Phillip, a giant of the labour movement, died March 20 from prostate cancer. Born in Grenada and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Phillip was a respected figure on the Jamaican labour front for over 30 years.
No one did more to keep the mento beat alive than singer Stanley Beckford. Beckford, who had a string of hit songs like Sawdering, was best known for his appearances in the Festival Song Contest which he won four times as a member of The Turbines, The Astronauts and as a solo act.
Beckford, 65 at the time of his death, succumbed to throat cancer on March 30 at his St. Catherine home.
Basil Buck, Clinton Dietrich and Peter Vogel
Professor Leslie Robinson, who served the University of the West Indies for over 40 years, died April 4. He was 82.
Clinical psychologist, Dr. Ruth Doorbar, died on April 16. An American, she had been living and practising in Jamaica since 1973.
Manufacturer Ray Hadeed died April 24 at age 86.
Clinton Dietrich, Jamaica Labour Party councillor for the John's Hall division in Manchester, was killed in an auto accident in that parish on April 28. He was scheduled to contest the Manchester North West constituency in the general election.
Arts lover and former Gleaner entertainment editor, Justin Whyte, died in May.
Sports historian, statistician and former Gleaner columnist, Jimmy Carnegie, died July 10. He was 69.
Environmentalist Peter Vogel was murdered at his apartment at the University of the West Indies on July 19. The Switzerland-born Vogel was 60 years old.
Clifton Neita, former managing director of The Gleaner, died August 13. Mr. Neita was 92.
Guitarist, Jerome 'Jah Jerry' Haynes, a member of the famed Skatalites band, died at the age of 86 on August 11.
Sonia Jones, Herb McKenley and Gilbert Kameka
Journalist Clifton Segree served his profession well as a reporter at Radio Jamaica and vice-president of the Press Association of Jamaica. He died September 1.
Eileen Cliggott, the first lady of Jamaican racing, died October 15, six days after suffering a stroke. Born in England, Mrs. Cliggott lived in Jamaica since 1958 and trained over 900 winners.
Kathleen 'Kitty' Sharpe made her mark as an administrator with the Jamaica Hockey Association. She died October 20 at age 97.
David 'Waga' Hunt was one of the most loved of sportsmen. The former Calabar and Jamaica Under-17 football coach died, aged 50, on October 26.
Former Bank of Jamaica governor, George Barber, also died in October. He was 84.
Attorney Sonia Jones died in November. The former Gleaner director was suffering from ovarian cancer.
Herb McKenley was truly a Jamaican original. The three-time Olympic silver medallist and member of Jamaica's winning 4X400 meters team at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, died on November 25 at the age of 85.
Richard Ashenheim, Olympic judge, lawyer and journalist, died in Bermuda on December 14 at age 80. Mr. Ashenheim was a member of The Gleaner's board of directors for almost 40 years.
Clifton Neita, Clifton Segree and Eileen Cliggot
Assistant Commissioner of Police Gilbert Kameka was murdered in Irish Town on November 29. One of 20 members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force killed in 2007, ACP Kameka was 48 years old.
Singer Tyrone Taylor will always be known for the 1983 hit song, Cottage in Negril. The soul-reggae vocalist died December 1 from prostate cancer at the age of 50.
