Oscar "OB" Benjamin Simpson

My father Oscar Benjamin Simpson was known to many by several names

    Dad    Daddy    Granddad    Oscar    Os    OB    Uncle Fell    Uncle Oscar    Cap    Scar    Pet

He was born 84 years ago, on August 20, 1926 in Bensonton  St Ann. He was the youngest of 12.  Much of his early years were spent in Kingston where he attended Kingston Technical High school from which he matriculated.  He was under the guardianship of his older brother, Roman. In the latter years of his life I really came to understand the deep bond that they shared. Nigel tells of the time when he paid a surprise visit to Mummy and Daddy in 2008.  Daddy was telling him about the treatment that Uncle Roman as we knew his brother,  had received in Jamaica when he tried to get a job in his field after returning from England  The anguish of the very bad treatment was evident in that he became very emotional and cried.. In fact in following His brother’s footsteps Daddy had joined up with the Royal Air Force in 1944. The joke is often told that he was just shy of the minimum age requirement to join up but using his wiles he was able to mask his age  by - among other things- obtaining and wearing a long pants in exchange for the standard short pants of  pre-age-of-majority young men. And so  it was that Dad went on to spend  a total of 14 years  in the RAF stationed at various bases throughout England. He attained to the rank of Sergeant and was employed as a pay accountant. I should mention that this was not a  straight course of 14 years but  was broken up into two tours of duty. -‘44 to ‘48 and ‘50 to ‘60. Between 1948 and 1950 Dad was back in Ja and it was during this time that he met my mother  and his life partner of 58 years, Winifred.  During this time he successfully acquired  certification and membership from the internationally recognized Chartered Institute of Secretaries.While in England he made lifelong friends many of whom were not of his race.  He never got caught up in issues of race but believed in in education and hard work that would make us proud of ourselves.  He did not want to be defined by colour. At the end of the RAF experience, Dad returned to Jamaica with his family consisting then of mum and three young ones, Nigel Mark and Dawn. The year was 1960  and this marked the end of one great era of OB’s life and the beginning of another.In Jamaica he ensured that we knew our roots.  He took us to Nathan St the heart of Mummy’s family as well as Bensonton, Drumily and Harmony Vale the heart of the Simpson clan.  He showed us the important things in life like family, education  and Dominoes.  He took us to the beach very often. We became familiar with Gun Boat beach, Mineral Bath,  BOJ's beachfront home in St Thomas and their Turtle Towers apartment among other places. On occasions he took us to Hope Gardens, Castleton Gardens and other areas where we could walk and talk as a family.At home he had his ’ways’.  Every now and then he used to buy hot bread and would also make these special concoctions such as crackers and red herring.  Many of us will not forget the omelets that he made as a result of the cracked eggs that he could not sell when he was involved in farming.  He picked up a love of English dishes such as Kippers.  Many of his grandchildren remember that he loved to share peanuts in shells or cheese and crackers with them while watching sports events like boxing after dinner whenever they spent holidays with him.  As he grew older he loved sitting on his porch holding court to all who passed through. Through his life he was  very opinionated a trait that he seems to have passed down to all his descendants Between 1961and 1987 Dad was a big part of the Bank of Jamaica family. I was born and raised during this era of time. Dad was a more seasoned parent during this period according to my siblings. To be clear he was consistently strict with all of us but by the time I came along he was not as rigid and unbending in his authority.  He had mellowed  somewhat. For example, I think that it was easier for me to go to parties than it was for them.The OB I know was an ambitious man. He wanted the very best for his family and worked hard to leave a legacy, a foundation upon which we could build. Not content with just a banking career dad was involved in farming  and was always on the hunt for a sweet real estate deal.  Nor was this in vain for his efforts did yield success and prosperity.  He always looked for better ways of doing things hence a decision to buy a car in the Sates and ship it to Jamaica.  This prompted his beloved older brother to do the same thingStill,  his concern extended beyond himself and his family - he  had a side that was very patriotic. Indeed, OB discharged his duties as a Bank  Executive with the poise and conviction of a patriotic public servant. It  was this sense of national pride that compelled him to come home to Jamaica despite being on a successful track in England. And It was the patriot in him that compelled Dad to teach evening Accounting classes  at St Andrew Technical High School for years despite the meager compensation. He had explicitly stated that it was his patriotic duty. Some of my fondest memories during this period  consist of seeing him interact in social settings; whether he was playing dominoes on a Friday evening at Hope Pastures or attending New years’ eve parties hosted by the Hall’s It was where I saw Dad shed his seriousness, let his hair down and have pure fun. It was where I saw my father dance and bwoy he was smooth. Not one awkward bone in his body! He was a great dancer as well as a great singerBy the time of his retirement from BOJ  in 1987, Dad was widely recognized for his acumen in Central banking specifically in the area of Bank Inspection. On the strength of this solid reputation  he was offered a position with the International Monetary Fund . His assignment with the IMF had him, my mother and I stationed in St. Kitts-Nevis but his responsibilities  -his jurisdiction- extended to the entire English-speaking Eastern Caribbean.  On completion of this assignment, he was offered opportunity for reassignment, continued travel and generous compensation but Dad had other plans: It was time for him and mum to come home and enjoy his beloved St Ann in the comfort of their newly built retirement home. And this is just what they did. He savored life in the parish of his birth and took great pride in his villa home. Oscar Simpson from humble beginnings rose up  through hard work and dedication to achieve success and through it all he maintained an unwavering commitment to his wife and family.  To be  in his presence was to be in the presence of a dignified gentleman: charismatic, warm and full of manners. Yes he had a sharp sting should you happen to be on the wrong side of an argument but he was after all, a man amongst men and therefore no stranger to staking out a position and defending it. I, for one, will surely miss him and I know he will be missed by all those who knew him.

Brian K Simpson