Local officials mourn the death of Professor Rex Nettleford

A number of prominent individuals and organizations here have been expressing sadness over the death of Professor and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, Rex Milton Nettleford.

Professor Nettleford died in a Washington hospital on Tuesday night, just hours before he would have reached his 77th birthday.

Chief Cultural Officer Raymond Lawrence remembers Nettleford for his role in culture and dance.

“The Caribbean has lost a great cultural icon. He was an outstanding educator, writer, lecturer, choreographer and dancer. He led the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica from its inception in 1962 and was one of the early pioneers of the recognition and promotion of our Caribbean identity in dance in other artistic and cultural forms,” Lawrence said.

According to him, the late Professor Nettleford was a fierce champion of Caribbean consciousness, awareness and appreciation.

“He wrote and published a number of articles and books including Dance Jamaica which was an historical account of the development of creative dance in Jamaica. He will be greatly missed and…should never be forgotten,” Lawrence said.

Meanwhile, Head of the UWI Open Campus in Dominica Dr. Francis Severin said given the impact that Dr. Nettleford had in the areas of history, culture, dance, trade unionism, it is safe to say that his passing means signals the end of an era.

According to Dr. Severin, Nettleford will be remembered as a very brilliant and down to earth individual.

“We are indeed very saddened and the UWI community has lost a very great man,” he said.

The renowned professor was the recipient of Jamaica’s Order of Merit, the gold Musgrave Medal, the Pelican Award from the U.W.I. guild of graduates, an Honorary Doctor of Humane letters from the University of Hartford and the Living Legend Award from the Atlantic Black Arts Festival.

Former Vice Chancellor of UWI and local attorney Bernard Wilshire has described Professor Nettleford as “extraordinary”.

“For a Caribbean person, I don’t think there is anyone to be as equal. He is certainly the most creative Caribbean person of his generation,” he said.

Wiltshire, who worked closely with the deceased Nettleford in Jamaica, said the professor had great admiration for Dominica.

Nettleford was born on February 3, 1933 in Falmouth, Trelawny.