Marie Maud Atkins, CD, JP

Mayor of Kingston and St Andrew from 1989-2003.

Mayor Atkins was born Marie Murray at Warsop District, Trelawny, one of six children.

She was educated at Warsop Elementary School and then attended Bennett's Commercial College in Kingston. After migrating to the United States in 1966, she received a Diploma from the Prospect Heights High School and went on to study nursing at the Bone and Joint Diseases (Orthopedic Hospital) in New York.

She later returned to Jamaica and established herself as a Real Estate Developer, building and selling homes throughout the Corporate Area. One of the homes she builtd was her dream home in Cherry Gardens, where she resided for 32 years and also died.

Political Life

Mayor Atkins was the civic head of the City of Kingston and St Andrew and of the Political Directorate, Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC), the flagship of local government authorities in Jamaica today.

She was no newcomer to politics and civic action at the local level. From girlhood, she recognised the need for united action to achieve social, economic, cultural and political development in her community and dedicated her leadership skills to the task.

She joined the People's National Party in 1943 as a group member and was elected to various positions of leadership over the years.

Although she migrated to the United States of America to pursue a career in nursing and had the potential for advancement, Mayor Atkins never could get the Jamaican political bug out of her system. She returned to Jamaica and re-established herself as a successful real estate developer, while at the same time pursuing her first love - service to the less fortunate.

She was elected councillor to the KSAC in 1974, for the People's National Party, for one of the most depressed sections of the corporate area, which included communities such as Riverton City, Callaloo Bed and Waterhouse in western St Andrew. As councillor, Mayor Atkins was proudest of her establishment of the Marie Atkins Basic School and the Balmagie Day Care Centre in her division, and she had been tireless in her efforts to raise funds for the Balmagie Primary School. She was also instrumental in the Inner City Upgrading Programme in the Drewsland area of Waterhouse.

instrumental

During her service in the Council of the KSAC, Mayor Atkins was chairman and vice-chairman of several committees, including the civic affairs, establishments, building and town planning committees, as well as chairman of the fire committee.

She was elected deputy mayor in 1986, becoming mayor in 1989, and was re-elected councillor and mayor in 1990, the third female Mayor of Kingston and St Andrew.

In fulfilment of one of her aims as mayor, Mayor Atkins, in conjunction with the Poor Relief department, established the mayor's Feeding and Hygiene Programme, providing meals, clothing and bathroom facilities for over 100 of the city's indigent on a daily basis. In a second component of the programme, she raised funds for the establishment of a night shelter for the city's homeless, with a capacity of 80 beds, at Hanover Street (named the Marie Atkins Night Shelter). She also established the KSAC parking lots throughout the New Kingston area.

During her term in office, Mayor Atkins was instrumental in establishing twin-city relationships between Kingston and cities abroad. She oversaw Kingston's twinning with Morne a l'Eau, Guadeloupe, and in March 1995, she was the driving force behind the twinning of Kingston and Shenzhen, The People's Republic of China, a relationship which held great potential for trade and investment.

Mayor Atkins also saw to the establishment of the Twin City Commission of the City of Kingston and St Andrew, to facilitate and develop relationships between Kingston and her sister cities.

Service

Justice of the Peace - (1975-2008)

Member of the Executive of the People's National Party - (1970-1980)

Board member, World Conference of Mayors - (1990-1992)

Second Vice President, World Conference of Mayors - (1992-1995)

Treasurer, Caribbean Association of Local Government Authorities (1992-1993)

Vice President, Association of Local Government Authorities (1992-1996)

Patroness, Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (1993-1996)

Elected President of World Conference of Mayors (1995-1996)

First Jamaican to become president of the World Conference of Mayors.

Longest serving mayor in the history of Kingston and St Andrew.

Awards

Order of Distinction (commander class) for outstanding and important service to Jamaica (1992)

The Iris King Award from the Jamaican United Nationals Association (1992)

The Medallion of Honorary Deputy Mayor of Guadeloupe (1986)

Meadowbrook United Church Award

The Right Honourable Marcus Garvey Award

honorary citizen

New Orleans, United States of America, 1989

Alabama, United States of America, 1995

Shenzhen, Republic of China, 1995

Private Life

Mayor Marie Atkins was married twice. She was first married to Sydney Osbourne, a building contractor. The union produced three children, Fay, June and Eartha. She later married Lloyd Alvin Atkins, civil servant. That union produced no children.

Her interests included playing the piano and she was a member of the United Church in Jamaica and Grand Cayman.

1996 - Suffered from two brain tumours that were removed in the United States. She returned to work in Jamaica two months later.

1999 - Her eldest daughter, Fay, suffered an aneurysm, which left her in a vegetative state for 8 years.

2002 - Husband, Lloyd Atkins died.

2006 - Stepdaughter, Ann-Marie Atkins Jones, died from cancer.

2008 - Lost daughter, Fay. After hearing of Fay's death, Mrs Atkins became ill, fell silent, developed bed sores and was hospitalised for two weeks at Medical Associates. She was released and died three weeks later at her home in Cherry Gardens, from heart failure.

Culture

Instrumental in putting together the Alphasonic Band for young men who are past students of Alpha Boys School.