Balford Henry’s final byline

WRITTEN not by the hand nor the wit of the illustrious veteran journalist Balford Henry but by the enduring ink of a remarkable legacy, his final story finds its authors in the colleagues and family whose tributes attest to the mark he left on their lives. Gathered on Saturday at Kencot Christian Fellowship in St Andrew for the thanksgiving service for his life, mourners reflected on a career spanning more than five decades during which Henry meticulously documented Jamaica’s political, entertainment, and industrial affairs, and cemented his reputation as a respected pillar of the media fraternity. Delivering her tribute, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport Olivia Grange remembered Henry as the consummate journalist — a man who was dedicated to his career, building a life around expertly sharing facts.

“Jamaica has long been regarded as a liberal democracy within which resides a diverse and active corps of journalists. Within that corps, however, is a much smaller number of these professionals whose work has truly helped to elevate public awareness and understanding about the role and the actual workings of our Parliament, the decisions made by our elected and appointed representatives, and the electoral process itself. Minister of Culture, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange (third right) is seen among mourners at the thanksgiving service for the life of Balford Henry on Saturday along with (from right) St Andrew North Western Member of Parliament (MP) Duane Smith, St Andrew North Central MP Delano Seiveright, and Senate President Tom Tavares-Finson.

The funeral was held at Kencot Christian Fellowship in St Andrew. Clarence Brodie, former president of the Press Association of Jamaica, delivers a tribute during the thanksgiving service for the life of Balford Henry held at Kencot Christian Fellowship in St Andrew on Saturday. “Balford Henry was such a man, a man who, through meticulous thoroughness, sheer hard work, ceaseless enquiry, and a longevity that reflected his lifelong dedication to his calling, developed into a towering figure in the field of journalism,” noted Grange.

Henry’s career took root at The Gleaner in 1971 and included work with the Jamaica Observer and the Jamaica Information Service (JIS). He was also editor of Reggae Times in the 1990s and reporter for the Overseas Gleaner (North America Edition) in New York during…