Contributed
Blossom O'Meally-Nelson (right), along with her close friend Norma Newman (centre), and Claudette Robinson-Smith.
Dr Blossom O'Meally-Nelson has never failed to impress audiences with her hilarious sense of humour at the annual Powerful Men and Women Perform for Charity, or any other public events. In addition to her gift for humour, she is a well-known public speaker, author and educator.
Dr O'Meally-Nelson holds a BA (Hons) degree, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education and a Doctor of Philosophy in Education from the University of the West Indies (Mona). After a 16-year career in education, she turned her attention to the private sector.
Track record
Since then, she has headed the National Development Foundation of Jamaica and established and managed the Work Force Development Consortium, a labour market service organisation. She was also a founding director of the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica and chairperson of the Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust.
Dr O'Meally-Nelson has the distinction of being the first female postmaster general of Jamaica. Her six-year stint in this position resulted in the establishment of the Postal Corporation of Jamaica for the commercialisation and modernisation of the post.
For 17 years, she was pro-chancellor and chairman of Council for the University of Technology, Jamaica, and is currently the chief operating officer of the Aeromar Group, a third-party logistics provider.
A dynamic Jamaican woman, Dr O'Meally-Nelson has received many awards for her service to Jamaica, including the national honour, the Order of Distinction (Commander Class) for outstanding public service.
Her best friend is Norma Newman, trained teacher and retired demographer, who was employed to the Planning Institute of Jamaica as a senior demographer for more than 10 years, prior to her retirement in 2004.
Through the eyes of Norma, we learn of Blossom's spirit of generosity and her ability to keep people laughing. We also learn of her deep love for animals, demonstrated in her often going out of her way to rescue stray dogs and taking them to the Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA) so that they can receive proper care, and her commitment to donating funds to the JSPCA to assist with the care of animals.
How did you meet Blossom O'Meally-Nelson, and how long have you been friends?
Blossom was born in a great house (Butler's Great House) in Retirement, a district neighbouring Elderslie in St Elizabeth, where I was born. Both of her parents were teachers; her father was the headmaster of Retirement All-Age School and her mother taught at the school.
Although we were from neighbouring districts, I never met her personally until 1965 at the University of the West Indies when we were studying for a Bachelor of Arts degree. I specialised in geography and the arts and she studied geography and sociology.
We were the first set of geographers at the university and that was the beginning of our friendship. After we graduated, we both entered the teaching profession and ended up teaching at Campion College, together, for several years. We branched out into teacher education and both remained in teaching for almost 20 years. Our friendship has continued over the years and we have shared many experiences together.
Tell us what you admire most about her, and why you think you have remained friends all these years.
I find Blossom to be a faithful and genuine friend. When my husband died in 1999, she was there to support me. It was a really painful time for me, as I had experienced the loss of five family members, including my husband and mother, within a short time period, and she was there to comfort me, to talk with me, and just to stand with me during this difficult period.
We have remained friends because I find her easy to talk to and we share the same love and devotion for our children. She is my movie partner and her son Tal (Stokes) has dubbed us the 'first wives club', as we are always going to the movies together, on jaunts throughout the island, and we also do most social activities together.
Tell us something interesting about her.
She is an animal lover. She owns dogs, birds and a macaw that speaks to her.
She often picks up stray dogs and takes them to the JSPCA so that they can receive proper care. She also donates money to the JSPCA to assist with the care of animals there. One day, we were travelling to St Elizabeth and we came upon a dog which was run over by a motorist. The dog was still alive and so she picked him up and turned back to take him to the JSPCA before continuing on her journey.
Among the many dogs she owns is a stray she calls Sligo, because she found him years ago in the Sligoville area during one of her regular trips to the country.
Her love for animals is just a part of her kind and caring nature. She is so soft-hearted that she cries at the movies, yet, this does not deter her from taking a firm stance whenever this is necessary.
I think everyone knows of her ability to keep people in stitches, but what I would add is that she makes fun even at her own expense.
What are some of the things you talk about when you get together?
Everything ... our children, our love for life and everything possible.
Share with us one of the happiest moments you have experienced with her.
An unforgettable experience was during the completion of our first degree at UWI when we had to do field work in Top Mountain in the upper Yallahs Valley. We had to cross a stream and I was having difficulties and Blossom carried me across the stream on her back. It was something I never expected but it demonstrated her thoughtfulness and caring nature.
Another memorable moment for me was at my son's wedding in 2004 when she had the task of toasting me, and she drew from our rural connection and our years of friendship and she kept guests laughing the entire time.
Tell us the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of her and why.
Faithful and dependable ... there is no occasion that I call upon her and she doesn't deliver, and this is how she is generally.
What are her favourite food, favourite music and favourite sport?
Ackee and codfish is one of her favourites, and she has a sweet tooth for potato pudding and cakes.
Soca is one of her favourite music, and she also loves classical music.
Her sons, Dudley 'Tal' Stokes and Nelson Christian Stokes, are sports enthusiasts and are active sportsmen, and because of them she is into sports. She especially enjoys athletics and football. Her sons are famous for being pioneers of bobsleigh (in Jamaica), and after they got her to try it once, she has had a love for the sport.
Tell us the colour that you associate with her:
Yellow - signifying someone you'll never forget
Orange - signifying someone you consider your true friend
Red - signifying someone you really love
Green - signifying someone who has had a significant impact on your life.
For me, she is a combination of all these colours, but if I had to choose one it would be orange. She accepts me for who I am, there is no pretence with her and we know where we stand with each other. We have been through challenging experiences and have overcome them because of the support that we give to each other. Our friendship is built on a strong foundation and has withstood the test of time.
Please send your feedback and comments to lobban_misha@yahoo.com?
