Eric Downie - File

The contribution to nation-building made by the late Eric Downie has been heralded in many quarters.

Downie served in many capacities including vice principal of Mico Teachers' College, president of the Jamaica Teachers' Association and secretary general of that body, as well as being a member of the Teachers' Service Commission and the National Council on Education, among others.

It is the general consensus that he served with distinction in all the areas in which he worked. He was that kind of individual, capable, humble, caring, dedicated, hardworking and a humanitarian at heart.

During his tenure as president of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (1988-1989) he was viewed by many as a master negotiator.

As vice principal at Mico College, he instituted the Preliminary Education Programme - a one-year course of study in which students seek to gain requisite qualifications in order to join the regular programme.

He was someone who spoke in measured, modulated tones. As a lecturer, he came across as a knowledgable individual, someone who was adept at thinking on his feet, literally.

He was concerned not so much that his students listened to what he was saying, but that they understood as well. He would make sure of this before moving on to the next point. He was, indeed, an extraordinary person, pleasant and full of patience.

On this, the ninth anniversary of his passing, Downie can be remembered as a gentleman, well respected by the students and faculty of Mico, church community and wider society.