The following tribute was read at the Funeral and Thanksgiving Service for Clarendon Smith, formely of Island Harbour, Anguilla. It was held at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church on Saturday, December 29. He resided in St. Thomas , US Virgin Islands.
The Tribute was written by his brother, Sheridan Smith, on behalf of his family.
When Clarendon finished school in Anguilla, he migrated to St. Thomas like the rest of us. His first job was in a wholesale food business and, as a person with a sharp mind, he moved up very quickly on the job. Within a very short period of time, he became a master salesman and skillfully elevated himself to a junior management position in that company.
Like everything else, he eventually acquired and operated his own successful little business, but “Smitty”, as he was usually called, developed a fascination for always extending a helping hand to others – especially those who may not have been mentally equipped to maneuver the typical daily routine of life. He had his very popular place of business in downtown Charlotte Amalie, where he came across people from all walks of life. The politicians would frequent his establishment and have a chat with Smitty to get a feel as to what the voting public was saying. He was so popular in St. Thomas that had he opted to throw his hat into the political arena there, he may have been the first Anguillian actually elected to public office. He also had a propensity for dealing with “bad boys” who would often find themselves in various types of trouble. I can honestly say that because of his exceptional leadership skills, his faithfulness, and the belief that God has instilled good in all of us, some of those young men became meaningful citizens and still are to this day.
Clarendon was loved and respected by many. Starting in the 80’s, he had rightfully gained the unofficial title of “Ambassador” to Spanish-speaking persons in the Virgin Islands. He spoke fluent Spanish and was always surrounded by the Santo Domingo population especially. He represented almost every Spanish-speaking individual whether it was securing jobs for them, preparing immigration or banking documents, teaching them English, or making sure everything was okay with them personally. He did all this, and gave his time freely, without asking for anything in return. It was all done from the goodness of his heart. Because of his affinity for his Spanish-speaking friends, my nickname for him was “mi compañero ‘Mitty”. What that translates to in English is “My friend, Mitty”. I jokingly called him ‘Mitty instead of Smitty. This was a constant source of laughter between the two of us.
Smitty would also surround himself with mute and deaf persons. My brother was equipped with sign language skills that could have only come from God above. He was as skilled as a sign language scholar without any formal education in that area. I could remember very vividly, passing by, and this one particular deaf-mute person was having an animated conversation with Smitty. All I could see was their hands going in different directions and with a lot of laughter, as though they were having a lot of fun. So after observing their vigorous conversation, I asked Smitty what was this all about and he took his time to explain the full context of the conversation. And one of the things that was communicated to him by this deaf-mute gentleman was that he’d fallen in love with this beautiful girl and that he was contemplating tying the knot pretty soon. It’s amazing how some individuals could be so humane to others. My brother had that gift.
Another name that was successfully placed on Smitty was, “Uncle Paypee”. This name came about by my first son, Elvis. Apart from being his uncle, Smitty was also his godfather. So Elvis took it upon himself to combine both titles and call him by this name. Because it was such a unique and humorous name, hundreds of other people started calling him by that name also.
Our brother, Clarendon, had a wonderful heart. He would use whatever resources he had to assist others who were less fortunate. He would frequent our construction job sites and earned yet another nickname: Santa Claus. Regardless of the number of men on the job site, he would make sure to bring drinks and eats for everyone. My package, however, was always a bit different. He knew that I loved sugar cakes, so there was always a bag of sugar cakes just for me. As we are on the topic of food, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Smitty’s love of cooking. He was our weekend chef, up on the hill, for the entire family and our friends. He cooked the best fish and fungi and was always ready to fire up the grill to barbecue for up to 30 kids some days. They all looked forward to those fun days.
Clarendon was always concerned about his family and made sure whatever was humanly possible for him to do to help a relative or friend was done. From a child, he was a kind and trusted friend to many elderly people. He always ensured their groceries were delivered to them, medication was available and stocked, and any favor they needed was done in a timely manner. He was adamant about making sure they were treated with dignity and shown much love.
Our mother, on her sickbed, had some of the best caretakers that any good child would want for a magnificent and loving mother such as Mathilda Hodge was. She was cared for by five amazing ladies: Her goddaughter, Gwensa; her niece, Nurse Linda Harrigan; her niece, Mavis Smith; her daughter-in-law, Maxine Hodge; and her best friend whom she considered a loving sister, Emily Harrigan. These ladies were an inspiration to our loving mother, along with her kid brother, Uncle Ben, also known as “Ben Ben”. They spent long hours everyday, for almost 2 years, keeping her in joy and comfort, while Captain Cardy and I, along with Nurse Linda’s husband, Chin-chin, played cards. Our mother had the joy of her life with much laughter surrounding her during that time.
But listen to this: there is more. Even though Clarendon was aware of all that extreme and devoted care Ma was experiencing, he still came home to do his part. He insisted that he had to be present to take care of his angel of a mother who had sacrificed so much for all of us. But when he arrived and started his version of care, he quickly realized that neither he, Cardy nor I was competition for these girls. They had Ma completely taken care of. God bless them all.
Clarendon was a truly wonderful man. We are left with warm and delightful memories of our time together. In the end, this is all we really have. Those of us who are still here should make it our duty to create lasting memories with our loved ones, so that even when we are called home to our eternal resting place, the memories will live on and on. Clarendon will be missed by everyone, especially his nephews and nieces. But our Creator has better plans. I can honestly say, with some authority, that our three brothers are angels in heaven because they did all they could on earth to help their fellowman. Mi compañero ‘Mitty, I love you always. You will be immensely missed. Rest peacefully until we meet again in heaven one day.
Love, Sheridan
