By Honourable R. T. Luke V. Browne
This article, notwithstanding its title, is not meant to be a sophisticated philosophical treatise or complicated political statement. Be assured that also has nothing to do with the state of learning or general education in this country. Instead, it is about a humble gentleman whose official name was E. Glenford Prescott, but who earned the nickname “Most Knowledge” (which was subsequently shortened for style and convenience to “Knowledge”) when he was growing up apparently because he seemed to know everything about everything. Unfortunately, it is my unhappy duty to report that Knowledge is dead.
Glenford Prescott did not just occupy space in this world. He stood up and was counted. We felt his presence. Pressie, as he was also called, made a noteworthy contribution to our way of life and was a well known to all and sundry. Mr. Prescott had strong views on many issues and he was never shy about expressing them, though it might be fair to say that he sometimes seemed quite dogmatic. Pressie might be remembered most for his work as a sports journalist or for being a proud product and promoter of all things Sion Hill. He was employed as a sports reporter at NBC Radio for 20 years from 1989 to 2009.
One thing for sure is that Pressie helped Sion Hill to become a brand name, and probably an incomparably strong brand at that. He was known to be a staunch supporter and activist of the News Democratic Party (NDP), and obviously this meant that we didn’t see eye-to-eye on that score. We even had occasion to cross political swords. However, this did not mean that we had anything less than a civil relationship that put country above politics.
It is interesting that Pressie’s death came on the heels of another titan from Sion Hill — Lloyd Lewis. Lloyd and Pressie were like peas from similar pods. Lloyd’s funeral was held on Monday at the Kingstown Methodist Church and started at 2 p.m. Pressie’s funeral will be held next Monday at the same church starting at the same time.
Pressie’s mother gave him a Christian foundation that sustained him to the end, and which allowed him to adopt an optimistic outlook even as he confronted medical difficulties. He has now been whisked away to eternity away from the pain and suffering of this life.
The last time I met up with Pressie was outside the Streams of Power Church Sion Hill after service one Sunday morning. He struck up a conversation during which he reminded me of an interview he did with me when I was a young promising cricketer playing at the Under-15 level. He also told me, as he had done on several previous occasions, that he blamed my mother for the fact that I did not go on to play cricket for the West Indies. He believed, and there is probably some truth to it, that mommy encouraged me to drop cricket and focus more attention on my studies after I entered the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College. At least I have a national scholarship to show for it.
We tend sometimes to focus only on the public life of individuals in tributes. My heart goes out to widow, children and other relatives of Glenford Prescott. They will feel the loss the most. There will always be that gaping hole in the household. Do not mourn because he is dead, thank God that he lived. Everyone knows that Knowledge is Power. Death can’t change that fact.