The coffin with the remains of the late CTL executive manger, Donald Tankoy, is carried by pallbearers from the Stella Maris Church, Shortwood, St Andrew, on Monday afternoon. - Winston Sill/Staff Photographer

The local horse racing fraternity turned out in large numbers to pay their final respects to the late executive manager of Caymanas Track Limited (CTL), Donald Tankoy, at a thanksgiving service for his life at Stella Maris Church, Shortwood Road, on Monday afternoon.

Speaker after speaker extolled the virtues of the man who served the racing industry for over 30 years in various administrative positions at CTL, including executive manager for OTB at the time of his death.

Tankoy passed away peacefully in his sleep, at age 67, on Wednesday, September 10 at his Meadowbrook home.

'Don', as he was popularly called, was loved and respected for the goodness of his heart. He was gentle, kind and considerate and these qualities were highlighted by former CTL chairman Danny Melville, CTL's executive manager for marketing, Millicent Lynch, as well as former Owners' Association president Dr Paul Wright and Blossom Lamb-Evans in their tributes.

The service, attended by a wide-cross section of persons within the racing industry, was conducted by the Rev Monsignor Richard Albert, vicar of of St Catherine, assisted by Rev Father Paul Collier, racetrack chaplain, with Norma McNeill on organ.

Dignitaries present

Soloist Kevin Williams gave two deeply moving renditions of Ave Maria and Jerusalem (Holy City), the latter providing an emotional journey for the large crowd who joined him in glorious praise.

Barbara Boreland Williams, representing the Off-Track Betting Association, read a poem.

Among those present were CTL's chairman Pat Rousseau, deputy chairman Lee Clarke, former chairman William Chin-See, former deputy chairman Neville Rhone, former CEO Rose Campbell, recently retired CEO Walford Brown, current director Kelvin Roberts, racing secretary Denzil Miller Jr, the general manager of the Jamaica Racing Commission Ruth Ann Smith-Sutherland, Jockey Club secretary Keith Thomas, as well as Xavier Chin, Cecil Charlton and Egerton Chang, representing the local bookmaking industry, Owners Association president Laurence Heffes, Grooms and Farriers Association president Paul Pancho, Richard Donaldson and Gresford Smith, both representing the Jamaica Racehorse Trainers' Association; Derrick White, Vin Lumsden, Richard Lake, Keith Binns, Dr Errol O'Connor, Douglas Rousseau, Don Glanville, Jason McKay, Brian Rickman, Richard Azan, Kenneth Mattis, Carol Melville, Donovan Phillipps, Everton Henry, Andy Campbell, Michael Sibbles, Bruce Chin Yee, Michael Casserly, Paul Fung, Michael Lyew, Norman Palmer, Stephen Ling Kee Chow and operations steward Eustace Williams, as well as pall-bearers Lloyd Garrick, Clive Wallace, Delroy McCormack, Luis Carmona, James Phillips and Denzil Miller Jr.

- O. C.