TEARS FLOWED as family, friends, representatives from Government and the legal fraternity gathered to pay tribute to jurist Ira D. Rowe at a thanksgiving service held yesterday at the Church of St. Margaret in St. Andrew.
Mr. Rowe died on January 25 in his sleep in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, while there to hear cases in the Appeal Court.
Notable public figures in attendance included Edward Seaga, Leader of the Opposition Delroy Chuck, opposition spokesperson on Justice, Foreign Affairs Minister K.D. Knight, representing Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, and Peter Phillips, Minister of National Security.
Mr. Rowe, born on February 8, 1928, died a few weeks shy of his 75th birthday.
During his lifetime, the St. Elizabeth native's influence spread beyond the shores of Jamaica.
At the time of his passing, he was president of the Court of Appeal of Belize and was serving on the Court of Appeal in the Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands.
He also served as Appeal Judge in The Bahamas.
Mr. Rowe's legal career began in 1947 when he became an Assistant Clerk of Courts. By a series of promotions he became Deputy Clerk of Courts, Clerk of Courts, Crown Counsel, Assistant Attorney-General, Puisne Judge, Appeal Court Judge, and in 1985, president of the Court of Appeal.
He was educated at the University of London and was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1957.
