Reflections on the Life of St Clair’s O’Garro
By Clement “Monarch” O’Garro
Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Today we are here to celebrate the life of our dear departed brother St Clair O’ Garro also known as Senny or O‘Garro. It is not easy to chronicle all the events of Senny’s life in a 5 minute speech but I will try my best to highlight some of what’s important to both family and friends.
He past away on Friday June 6th, , 20 days shy of his 55th birthday but as most of you well know Senny would never admitted to being 55, probably 35 or maybe even 25. Manufacturers of anti graying products stocks rose every time Senny saw even one strain of grey hair on his head. Well I am sure we all will agree that there is nothing wrong with looking as young as you feel. And Senny personified that.
In the words of famed gospel artiste Yolanda Adams, while paying tribute to Rosa Parks, she sang: SHATTERED but I am not broken, WOUNDED but time will heal, HEAVY the load the cross I bear, LONELY the road I trod I dare. SHAKEN but here I stand, WEARY still I press on. Long are the nights the tears I cried, dark are the days, no sun in the sky. Yet still I rise, never to give up, never to give in against all odds. Yet Still I rise high above the clouds, At times I feel low, yet still I rise.” That is the expressed sentiment of the family right now and I am sure it applies to most of you here who are present with us today.
St Clair worked at Fairview Inn from 1969 to 1995 when he retired and went full time into servicing his community’s shopping needs by expanding what we now know as “OGARROS ROADSIDE BAR”. Special thanks go out to Betty and the late Fred Lam and family who helped to mold his enterprising spirit. It was not unusual for a patron of that institution to be the recipient of Senny’s brashness. He was loud and sometimes uncompromising, but as the fruits of his labor will show all the noise he made was well intentioned. And if you don’t want to take my word for it, just have a conversation with Bjorn, Melvon and Gashorn to name a few. To all those patrons of the shop, I wish through this medium to express the family’s gratitude for your support through thick and thin. You know it was never too much for him to prepare a pot of whatever for you guys after an extended session of just having a good old time.
His community spirit was also very evident in the many institutions and charities he contributed to from time to time. These included the Bronte Welsh Primary School, the Verchilds High School and Boyds Gospel Hall to name a few.
Senny had a distinct passion for his family, especially the younger ones. He catered to their needs no matter where in the world they were and are. Tiffany my daughter who lives in Houston, Lasnette and Danielle who lives in NY, Delicia who lives in Miami, Amber who lived in Boyds and now Nevis Keriece, Janelle and Tajel all who are his God children benefited from his generosity and his love. Traeniq one of his special darling cousins also benefited. She would on every occasion take her School’s Report Card to show Senny how she did and on seeing her great marks Senny would reward her right there and then or ask her what she want him to buy her. And bet your life he would remember to award her. Senny also gave Traeniq a Top Up as you would call it every time Cable & Wirelesss has double bubble or triple trouble.
During the extended time that he spent in New York and Houston last year for medical treatment, younger brothers Wayne and Keibo and our eldest sister Jennifer got accustomed to his experienced advice. So too did our late sister Cheryl who passed last year. He was her comfort zone throughout her illness and when she succumbed after a protracted fight against cancer, he made sure he flew back to Houston to give her a fitting tribute and send off. He was part of our mini brother/sister reunion in NY last year even though he could not wait to return to the beloved land of his birth St Kitts. He talked about his frequent visits to visit his uncle Vincent Williams and family in Old Road and also another brother Lionel, popularly known as Tony Hodge. The family tree has many branches and just like back in the days of picking mangoes, he climbed from limb to limb with warmth that only he personified.
To this end I would like to say sincere thanks to the Mc Masters, the Greens, the Wattleys, the Dias, the Warner, the Dorset, the Seaton and Cotton families who shared a special part of his life. I know that it would not only be difficult but also time consuming to name everyone, so for the sake of not creating trouble, I will say a general thanks to all and sundry that helped him to experience the fullness of life and all that it has to offer.
And now to a topic of contention, It was very easy for some folks to consider Senny to be a-political. But to be honest I think his patriotism and love for St Kitts created that view in some peoples mind. From my personal experience, Senny wanted the best for his beloved country. To that end he befriended some of our best political minds in St Kitts from all political divides and persuasions including the deputy prime minister Hon Sam Condor, member of parliament Hon Shawn Richards, Mr. Sydney Osborne and also Mr Walford Arthurton.
In closing I would like to share our family’s profound gratitude to all who has made this difficult time of grief and loss a lot easier to handle. To all the puff paffs and the pungkalungkushes of his world, I can assure you that he is smiling today as he always wanted to be the center of attention (and I mean that in a good way) he is loving the fact that so many of you turned out today to celebrate the life of our dear departed brother who had a passion sports, music, vehicles, community, family and much more. To all those who have journeyed from far and wide to be with us today, our thanks is sincere and very much appreciated. To all those who called and expressed their shock and frustration at the untimely death of St Clair, thanks again. And to all who has helped to put the arrangements together for Senny’s farewell celebration today especially cousin Trista, THANKS.
Finally there is no way we will ever get over this loss but we just have to be prepared to get used to it.
Thank you and God bless all of you.