The Grace and Truth Assembly at Flagaman in St Elizabeth was packed last month, as scores of mourners turned out to pay their last respects to well-known farmer of that community and parish Claude Taylor.

Kind, loving, respectful, hardworking and generous were some of the adjectives used to describe the well-loved and respected fruit and vegetable farmer, who fed hundreds of people with the crops he produced for decades.

Close friend and colleague, Kingsley Palmer, Agro Grace's technical sales representative in Western Jamaica, in his tribute on behalf of his company, said Claude Taylor contributed much to the agricultural sector in St Elizabeth and Jamaica.

"I am honoured to be charged with the responsibility of paying tribute to one who has served with distinction and made such a valuable contribution to agricul-ture. His dedication, commitment, integrity and expertise as a farmer are well recognised and appre-ciated by the company and the people of his community," said Palmer.

Palmer noted that, in recognition of Taylor's loyalty and dedication to Agro Grace, five years ago he was featured in GraceKennedy's annual report for his dedication to making things grow.

He also mentioned that Taylor was a kind and humble man who would be remembered as a genuinely nice person who was always pleasant. He said his late friend had a passion for current affairs and farming and did not hesitate to discuss new develop-ments in agriculture. According to Palmer, for Taylor, failing was not an option.

Kind and caring

In giving the eulogy, Taylor's cousin Rohan Leyden reiterated what Palmer had said. Leyden said Claude Taylor was kind and caring; as, Taylor while a teenager, would always send him envelopes while he attended school.

He pointed out that in 1970 at the age of 15, Taylor embarked on his vocation as a farmer; and his strength and tenacity in his vocation were tested. Leyden noted that Taylor's first crops were destroyed by bad weather and eventually when his crops came to maturity, there was a glut in the market. That did not stop him, as he kept on producing because he (Taylor) knew that farming was his calling.

He stated that the late farmer spent the last 35 years contributing to the development of agriculture in Pedro Plains and Flagaman, and that he played a significant role in providing employment for many people in south St Elizabeth.

He added that the former public relations officer for the Manchester and St Elizabeth Growers' Asso-ciation, who was also a member of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, served agriculture in St Elizabeth and Jamaica well, and that it was no surprise when he was awarded the St Elizabeth Homecoming Foun-dation's Best of St Bess Golden Award in 2005.

Youth Club president

Leyden pointed out that the late recipient of the Jamaica Agricultural Society's Sir Arthur Farquharson Most Improved Farm award for the parish of St Elizabeth in 2007, was also involved in things other than agriculture. He said Taylor served as president of the Flagaman Youth Club for more than six years and was treasurer for the Flagaman community council.

Taylor gave his life to the Lord on September 23, 1998, and was baptised. He was a member of the Grace and Truth Assembly at Flagaman up to the time of his passing on October 23. He was born on July 30, 1955 and was the fourth of seven children for Mary Parchment and Bradford Taylor. His early education was received at the Pedro Plains Primary School.

In 1990, Taylor met and fell in love with Margaret Ebanks. They married in 1993. The union produced Sheldon and Kaydian. In addition to his widow and their children, he has left behind daughter Celia (from a previous relationship), siblings Malcolm, Lloyd, Brenda, Doreen, Diane, Peter and Suzan, other relatives and numerous friends. His body was interred in the family plot.