Oswald Harding to receive official funeral at UWI Mona on July 27

An official funeral for the late Professor the Hon. Oswald Gaskell Harding is set for July 27 at the University Chapel on the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Campus in St. Andrew.

Hon. Olivia Grange, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, announced the arrangement in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (July 14).

Professor Harding, who held the record as Jamaica’s longest-serving senator and was the first person to serve two non-consecutive terms as President of the Senate, died on June 24.

Ms. Grange also said Cabinet will receive a submission on Monday (July 20) seeking an official funeral for former Cabinet Minister Dean Peart.

She further disclosed that a celebration of life for Stephen Francis, the late head coach and founder of the MVP Track Club, will take place on August 15 at the National Indoor Sports Centre.

Ms. Grange said Mr. Francis’s sudden passing has left a gap not only among track and field stakeholders but in the nation’s spirit as well.

“Franno was not just a coach; he was a master architect of human potential who redefined the boundaries of what Jamaican athletes could achieve on the global stage. His journey, characterised by an uncompromising commitment to excellence and a fierce, almost stubborn belief in local talent, transformed the landscape of sprinting forever,” she said.