Despy Whyte Simms

No

After graduation, taught at Falmouth All Age for a year then moved to Kingston where I worked with the Ministry of Health. It was while working in Kingston that my father and brother, William and Jason Whyte, were lost at sea. Sadly my brother returned after 17 days minus my father. My brother Jason is my hero.

Lived in Freeport, Grand Bahama for a while then moved back to Jamaica where I worked at Long Pond Estates.

Left Jamaica in 1974 for Canada. Have been living here ever since. Attended St. Clair College of Arts, Science and Technology in Windsor, Ontario and Ryerson University, Toronto, where I obtained a degree in Public Administration. Have been working with the Ontario Provincial Government for the past 23 years.

Founded the Friends of Trelawny Society (Canada) a non-profit organization. I am the Executive Vice-President. We've been in operation for 10 years. We are geared towards assisting folks back in Trelawny with education, specifically early childhood education.

Transferred from Mount Alvernia, spent the last two years of high school at Knibb, so don't have a lot of stories. I can tell you that those were my best years in high school. Met up with kids that I went to Barracks school with. Happy to say that I am still in touch with quite a few.

I remember our lively debates on Friday afternoons, on topics such as "do you agree that a woman's place is in the home"?. That's where the budding feminists raised their voices.

I can also remember us girls sewing our uniform pleats at nights so they would stay in place all day. As well, I remember watching the boys play TT on the back steps. Roland Hyde playing the piano, and the beautiful singing voices of the choir. Let's not forget those unusual nick names: Echo, Blood, Mex, Turks to name a few.

Ah, the good old days, such innocence, such joy in the simpliest things!!!