FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15 to Sunday, November 17, the Asafu Yard in the Maroon village of Charles Town in Portland teemed with mourners, well-wishers, bereaved family members, relatives, friends and associates of Colonel Marcia ‘Kim’ Douglas, who passed suddenly on Wednesday, October 16. Some of these had travelled from overseas for the sad-but-celebratory occasion that consisted of a memorial day, a wake, a funeral service, and a burial. For the three days, the tributes, many by way of email and live-streaming feedback, that came in from near and far, from people of diverse social and professional backgrounds and from different stations in life, dominated the activities, floated throughout the space, not far from where the late colonel was born, raised, and had lived.
Many things were said, in different tones and levels of emotions, but the common thread throughout was the impact that Colonel Douglas had on the development of the Charles Town Maroon village, and the spreading, sharing and preservation of Maroon culture, history and heritage. Her collaborations with government and non-governmental agencies were also mentioned, and, during the funeral service, Desmond Saunders Jr, community tourism manager at the Tourism Product Development Company Ltd, read a framed citation to Colonel Douglas on behalf of his employers. It was accepted by Michael Lumsden, chairman of the Charles Town Maroon Council.
The citation reads in part: “The Tourism Product Development Company Limited.