Engineer who died in MoBay Bypass mishap hailed for dedication to duty

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Clifton James, the engineer who lost his life while working on a section of the Montego Bay bypass road in early September, was hailed for his dedication to service during his funeral on Sunday. Among those paying tribute was St James Central Member of Parliament Heroy Clarke, who recounted his interactions with James dating back to childhood as both men grew up in neighbouring communities. “The difference between Clifton and I was that Clifton was [a] very calm, easygoing, spirited youngster.

Heroy Clarke was one of the noisy, robust, think him was always the village lawyer for everything — but we bonded from then,” Clarke told the gathering at the Montego Bay Convention Centre. Clarke explained that he was from Glendevon while James hailed from Quarry. He said the two developed a friendship during their high school years, despite his attendance at Cornwall College and James attending Herbert Morrison Technical High School, popularly called Compre.

“Even though we had our little fights between Cornwall and Compre — whether it be at a little track meet or a football match — Clifton and I remained friends,” added Clarke. He told those in attendance that although adulthood took them in different directions, they continued to keep in touch whenever the opportunity arose. “I remember the last time that I spoke to Clifton was when we did the tour with the minister [with responsibility for works Robert Morgan] of the perimeter road, and he pulled me one side and said, ‘MP, a long time mi nuh si yu…how things?’ And I said, ‘I see your handiwork,’ because he believed in making sure that everything was to the T and correct,” Clarke said.

“Little did we know that conversation we had then would be the last conversation between he and I for now,” lamented Clarke, who used the occasion to pay tribute to James whom he described as a nation builder who worked behind the scenes. Carlena James (right), the widow of Clifton James, gets a supportive hug from a friend during the funeral. “I will say to the family of Clifton that we give to you our appreciation, our gratitude, because you gave Clifton to us for the entire service of his life.

“He was always in a department that speaks to serving a nation, serving the people, and so we say thank you for all the times that he would stay away from home, that he would go out there working.