EDITOR’s NOTE: Paul Joseph was interviewed by the health Magazine Rosies and Thorns with the intention of publishing his story in its Sept 2015 quarterly issue. Unfortunately circumstances dictated otherwise. Here is the story as told back then.
June 2015
If you have been a follower of talk radio over the last decade or so, whether it be on DBS, Kairi and or Q-95, you will be familiar with that chant. To a very large extent, it has diminished over the past 2- 3yrs, although ever so often, it resurfaces, as if to claim its rightful place, and to opine on an issue of national importance. There is no telling the impact of the thoughts shared, the knowledge dispensed and the reasoning and rational put forward. When he speaks, people listen. That voice, that self-professed “match box” intelligence, that wise bedridden man from the east, has drawn many to him, some as friend others as foe; some out of mere admiration, others simply out of curiosity; some in support of his views, others in total disagreement not of the man but of his view; some Labor Party big wigs, some UWP big wigs, notwithstanding, they all had one thing in common – they called him via the telephone. In some instances, the conversations would end on an “agree to disagree” note, but respectfully so. No hard feelings; we can still be friends; after all, we are all Dominicans targeting the same goal but navigating different routes.
The story of Paul Joseph is one of intrigue and captivation. It is a story of determination and service – determination of will and service to family, community, country, and to God. It is indeed a story of grace, mercy and peace, unraveled in good measure over the past twenty one years.
That fateful day, August 7, 1993, began as a regular working day. Paul, the farmer was deeply engaged on his farm until, as he attempted to string a banana plant, he lost his balance and fell backwards into a drain. He sustained spinal injury, which has left him paralyzed from chest downwards. He has been bedridden ever since.
Family Background
It was not always that way. Paul was a well-built 6’ 1”, approximately 250lbs physically strong man. He was a farmer, a sports man, a community activist, a preacher, a politician, a husband to one wife, a father of seven girls and one boy, a driver, in addition to many other roles which he performed. He was easily a very important cog in the wheels of the La Plaine community. It was in that community that his journey started on Feb 7, 1947.
The only son of the deceased Veret Joseph and Agatha Jno Baptiste, Paul relates that he was “born in a straw house in Case O Gowrie”. At the age of six months, he was taken by his father, a farmer, an act which he replicated when his father was advanced in age. Father and son developed a strong and loving relationship which continued until the death of Veret at a very ripe old age of 102. For those who knew Paul over the years it was not uncommon to hear him referring to his father as “My Daddy”.
When Paul was age 14, his father became very ill and was hospitalized for a period of ten months. He was forced then to leave school to look after the ten cows which his father owned. He missed the opportunity to write his school leaving exam. Paul admits to being a troubled child; he could have attained so much more with greater discipline and parental guidance. There is no doubt that he harbored great potential and there was sown within him the seeds for success. When one listens to the man on the radio, it is only left to conjecture what he could have become, had he been able to embrace formal education beyond the age of 14! To his great credit, Paul thanks the then school Principal Mr H.L. Christian (who later became Minister for Education), Mrs Gertrude Roberts (former Minister of Community Development) and Eustace Estrado, as influential people who helped him raise himself from a situation which could have been so disastrous.
Employment
As he pulled himself up by the boots straps, Paul sought and secured employment , over a period of time, at various agencies – Esso Oil Terminal, Central Water Authority (now DOWASCO) , J Astaphans and Co Ltd and the Local Government Department. Prior to this he was engaged as a lines man, surveying the La Plaine to Delices road. He also worked a s a Lanceman spraying banana fields against the deadly leaf spot (yellow Sigatoka) disease in the Pond Casse/ La Plaine District. He also made an unsuccessful attempt at employment in St Maarten and St Croix. It was however through the Local Government and Community Development Division that he established himself as a community activist.
In 1975, Paul joined the Local Government Department as a Community Development Assistant for the South East, spanning Grand Fond to Delices. His senior officer or District Development Officer (DDO) was, at various times, A. A. Scotland, Marsley Prosper or Johnson Thomas. The Division was led by Mr Sylvester Joseph with Ms Bernice Bellony as his deputy. According to Paul, he served conscientiously and with distinction. His involvement in local politics, which included election to the La Plaine
Village Council on three separate occasions, resulted in a natural progression to the next level – national politics.
Paul the Farmer
Farming has always been a passion of Paul. His forced departure from school led him straight to the land, where he took over from his ill father. He developed into a diversified farmer with bananas being his main crop. But he also planted plantains, bay leaf, dasheen among others. He was the owner of a four wheel pick- up, which was his mode of transporting produce from farm to market. His pursuits as a farmer led him to serve as Chairman of farming organizations such as the Dominica Banana Growers Association (DBGA), District Branch (South East) of DBGA and Essential Oils and Spices Cooperatives.
Farming was Paul’s prime means of livelihood. As such, he can identify with the struggles and challenges of the farmer and the pain caused by the apparent demise of farming in today’s Dominica.
Paul and Politics
Paul is a two time contester of elections at the national level. His relationship with Patrick John, the then Premier and DLP Leader, began in 1975. By 1980, not withstanding the crisis in which the Labor party found itself, he considered that he was sufficiently established in community activism that he could ride the wave. He was confident of beating his opponent, Heskeith Alexander of the Dominica Freedom Party. But, as it turned out, he had misjudged the people. “The people were so outraged”, he said, “that notwithstanding my record of service and commitment to the community, I lost”. Only two of the nineteen labor candidates saved their deposit. He was one of them. “I consider this a small victory!”
At that time he served as Vice President of the Party, with now Deacon, Pershin Waldron, as President.
Subsequently the Labor Party fell apart. By 1982, a new entity in the form of the United Labour Party was formed through the initiatives of Michael and Rosie Douglas. Paul was elected Deputy Political leader. The party pursued attempts at reuniting Labor with a view to contesting the 1985 general elections. The result was the election of Michael Douglas as Leader, O.J. Seraphin as Deputy leader and Barbs Dyer as second Deputy Political Leader.
In 1985, Paul again lost to Heskeith Alexander. In 1987, he resigned from the party as promises made to him leading up to the 1985 Elections were never kept. He however maintained friendship and camaraderie with many stalwarts of the DLP the ‘shoe party’.
It was about that time he became a founding member of the United Workers Party. He was elected a member of the Board of Trustees. He is proud, that not withstanding his political affiliations, he has been able to relate to persons across the political divide. In his contributions to radio programs, he has sought as much as he is able to, to be objective in his pronouncements. Of course, he was not always able to maintain this.
In service to community
His history of community service is commendable. Following employment stints in Roseau, Paul returned to take up full time residence in his community. He went on to serve in various capacities on a wide range of community based organizations, among them being:
Member, Loan Committee, La Plaine Credit Union
Member, South East District Local Government Association
Member , Disaster Prevention Coordinator for the South East
Member, South East Independence Committee
Founding Member ShamRock Married Men Cricket Club
Captain Western Cricket Club of La Plaine
La Plaine Quadrille Cultural Group
Leader of La Plaine Ban Mauvais
President of the La Plaine
Primary School (PTA) now Jones Beaupierre Primary)
President of the Dominica Association of Disabled Persons (DADP)
Paul references his representation of Dominica at an international conference for disabled persons in Mexico in 1997, as a very proud but humbling moment. His wife accompanied him to that conference.
In the field of sports, and more particularly cricket, Paul was a utility player – a genuine all rounder. In fact he was one of the leading cricketers in the south east.
“There is nothing that I could not do on the cricket field,” he says. He first played at the Botanical gardens in 1961 and made it to national trials on three occasions. But this was as far as he got as these were competitive times in Dominica’s cricket. As a batsman he competed with the likes of Matthew George, Joffre Faustin, Irving Shillingford and Clem John while Grayson Shillingford, Nobert Phillip and David Defoe were ahead of him in the bowling department.
Premier John was impressed and immediately asked him to be part of DBS Panel scheduled to bring live commentary on the match Dominica vs Grenada at the Botanical Gardens. The rest is history…… he went on to do several regional matches, including Barbados vs Combined Islands, Trinidad vs Windward Islands, Windward Islands vs Leeward Island among others.
Evangelist Paul Joseph
In 1975 Paul Joseph experienced a life changing moment. He gave himself and his life to his Lord and Master. In so doing, he joined the Christian Union Mission Church. He even became a preacher and engaged in islandwide crusades but resigned from actively preaching in 1980 in order to contest the election of that year.
Paul continued his evalgelizing and was priviledged to spread the Word in St Croix, St Thomas, St Martin and Colorado, USA where he did studies in Theology at the Denver School of Theology. He is now a member of the Original Pentecostal Church of La Plaine, a church community he also helped to establish.
In the months and years following his accident, active evangelism fell by the way side. About three years ago, however, the Lord called Paul back to Ministry. He refers to a vision which he had at about 2:30 am one morning, to which he answered in the affirmative. It meant giving up his rigorous partisan political involvement – not a very easy decision because, from all indications, Paul and politics appear to be synonymous. But he proudly asserts that in all his years of active partisan politics, he tried always to maintain his Christian values.
Once he had given his “Yes” to the stirrings within his heart, he excused himself for an extended period, from his frequent calls to the various political programs on the respective radio stations and spent much time in prayer and preparation for his return to Ministry, albeit through a different avenue. Paul and his wife, are the hosts of the Nation and Kingdom Building radio programe, aired on Q95 from 9:00 am every Sunday. The program, which seeks to apply the word of God to the every day reality of Dominican life, has been extended from a fifteen to a thirty minute broadcast. He thanks his many benefactors for the support both in cash, prayers and listenership.
Health
The sudden transition from being an all out active member of society to one who is bedridden and dependent presented its challenges to Paul. But TO GOD BE THE GLORY!! The Grace, the Mercy and the Peace of God have taken him through. Additionally, he has been blessed with a loving, dedicated and faithful wife for 40yrs. Without Victoria, his story would have been so much different; maybe he would not have been around to tell his story. She is the wind beneath his wings, his motivator, his prop, his confidante, his friend.
Paul has suffered no major illness since becoming bedridden. Interestingly, one of the major issues faced by a bedridden patient is that of bed sores. Not so for Paul. His wife gives him holistic care thus facilitating his remaining in top shape. Referencing scripture, Paul touts, “A perfect wife, Who can find her?” He certainly did. Not withstanding his physical challenges, he boasts “there is still honey, in the honey comb!” In fact Paul is convinced that part of the therapy and peace that he enjoys is linked to the faithfulness of his wife and the implicit trust that he has in her.
Paul is a grateful man. He has high praises for the health professionals both at the Princess Margaret Hospital as well as those of the La Plaine District Health Team. They have always readily made themselves available to him. He is appreciative of all those who have helped him financially, both for his own cause as well as the cause of the five grand children who he decided to keep and raise following the sudden death of their mother 10 years ago. He recognizes the Government of Dominica as having played a significant role in their lives by providing financial support. Once again Paul praises his dear wife, whom he often times affectionately refers to as “my Victoria Secret”, for the sacrifices she made for these grands.
Paul may be physically challenged but he is mentally alert and occupied. The saying that disability is not inability rings absolutely true in the case of Paul Joseph. From where he lies, Paul has impacted the life of many through his contributions to radio talk shows and more recently through his radio ministry. Paul is connected to a network of friends, associates, acquaintances and radio listeners from across political religious and social lines – some of those “connections” he has never met in person. But make no mistake, he is well connected; and he remains that way via his “bedside office paraphernalia” – telephones (both land line and mobile) , stationery, Bible, other reading materials, television, radio, computer and his face book page; all these are integral part of his immediate surrounding as he follows international, regional and national events.
Nearing the Finish Line
The story of Paul is an amazing one; there are so much more untold details, so many true stories and so many examples and incidents which can be referred to. He may be well advised to take up the suggestion of documenting his life and times in book form. May be this feature will serve as the motivation to do just that. Asked about the legacy which he would like to leave behind, the man was true to form: “I would like to be remembered as a man who, through it all, maintained his Christian values and was a good husband and father. I am a winner”. As simple as that .
Grace , Mercy and Peace…indeed!
April 2018
After almost twenty-four years of mostly illness-free confinement to his bed, Paul took ill in February, 2018 and spent two weeks at the Princess Margaret Hospital. He made a remarkable recovery even when all thought he would have been called home. He continued to sing the praises of the health team, including the orderlies and the Ward Aids whom he reported had treated him well.
He again took ill about April 3rd, and trying to spare his family the stress of moving him once again he repeatedly said he was okay. The family however, saw through his bravery and made every effort to seek medical attention for him. By then, he knew how he was feeling and thanking his wife for all she had done for him, he kissed her hand and prepared her for his death, ’I am going home’. He was again taken to the Princess Margaret Hospital on Friday 6th April, and in the early hours of Monday, 9th April, 2018 Paul was called home to his Maker. He was laid to rest on April 19th after a joyful send off at the Laplaine Pentecostal Church.
He leaves behind his wife ,Victoria
Children: Juliette, Tricia, Lydia, Shana, Imran, Judith, Paula,
Grand children: Mahala, Niomi, Kwamine, Makailia, Mattalia , Tarik, Maiik, Maiika, Abijah, Alicia, Ashma, Ashton, Ayana, Laune.
Members of the Christian community, healthcare providers, benefactors, many relatives and friends.
Farewell husband, father, papa, brother, evangelist, uncle, advisor. May God’s angels welcome you to paradise!
Grace, Mercy and Peace!
I never met him but I met his daughter Lydia and in her I can see the Great man he was a how much he’s loved. The earth was blessed to have him, sleep in peace Sir Paul Joseph.
May the soul of Paul Joseph rest in peace. I did not know him well but do appreciate his value as a humanitarian and Christian man who urges Dominicans to do better always. RIP
RIP .
You never sold out but stuck to your convictions, principals and morale values to the end.
may his soul rest in peace
R I P my brother u played your part as a father husband sportsman farmar council man politican a humanitarian and most of all a servant of the lord happy journey my brother.
Sincere condolences to the Joseph family on the passing of Husband and Father, Paul Joseph. As a child I remembered him as an avid cricketer and still hear his eloquent cricket commentary from the stands at the old La Plaine playing field.He had such a power of speech! On a past encounter with him at PMH he spent some time filling me in on the internal organizational politics of the day which surrounded the tenure of my Dad’s service in the upper echelons of the police force. He stood as a tall and proud man from the East. God Speed Paul Veeret!
I take this opportunity to extend condolences to the families of La Plaine elders Sgt Cobette, Babappe Pascal, and to our relatives Cornard and Bastian Lestrade who all passed recently.,
In 1975, Paul joined the Local Government Department as a Community Development Assistant for the South East, spanning Grand Fond to Delices. His senior officer or District Development Officer (DDO) was, at various times, A. A. Scotland, Marsley Prosper or Johnson Thomas……..
Ranny and Rosie, you left out one name, who I recall worked longest with Paul as his DDO in the South East and that person is Francis Joseph, former Director of ChildFund. Please observe and correct.
Great Article though