Grand farewell to Kingsley Cooper

It was in 1980 that Kingsley Cooper and fellow attorney Hilary Phillips started Pulse, a company that would develop the talents of several well-known models and which became a global force.

Four decades later, at a memorial service for Cooper, Phillips stood inside The University Chapel at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus, and shared memories of the mogul who she hailed as “a Renaissance man”.

Phillips’s was one of the multitude of voices that sang the praises – whether through the spoken word or in print - of the man whose “belief in the power of Jamaican talent and his commitment to nurturing that talent has left an indelible mark on our creative industries” (former Prime Minister PJ Patterson).

There was not enough space in the printed programme for all the tributes, however, many of Cooper’s models had their say, and their universal theme was gratitude. From supermodel Lois Samuels, who met Cooper when she was “a 14-year-old country girl with a dream of seeing the world”; to Nadine Willis, who shared that “Kingsley saw me when no one else did”; and Luca Khouri, who asked, ‘Where would we be without Mr Cooper?’ the names were a Who’s Who in the world of fashion modelling - Nikki Vassell, Sanya Hughes, Jeneil Williams, Shantae Leslie, Jaunel McKenzie, Kimberley Mais Issa, Miqueal Simone Williams, Nell Robinson, Sky Grey, Oraine Barrett, Sandra Foster Mahfood, Francine James, Alicia Burke, Zoe Griffith, and Sandra Kennedy.

Family, led by his partner of more than three decades, Romae Gordon, their son Cole and Cooper’s daughter, Safia, and his sisters Carolyn and Donnette, dignitaries and friends, many of whom consider themselves family, filled the pews of the chapel for a grand and glamorous farewell. On the outside, lifelong friends such as Wayne Nunez and Copeland Forbes, exchanged stories about how, when and where they met “the great Kingsley” and who knew him the longest.

Cooper’s daughter reflected on her close bond with her dad and even shared that one year she wrapped his Father’s Day gift in ‘Batman’ gift paper because “he was and is my superhero”. Cooper’s sister gave insights into the journey of the youngster who effortlessly excelled at school and would become an attorney-at-law and fashion pioneer.

For his partner, Romae, theirs was a journey of love, and she opened the doors to their captivating story, which started at Firefly, where they discovered their love for film and art and subsequently travelled the world together before welcoming their son, Cole.

“His simple act of sharing a bite of a delicately flavoured naseberry from a tree outside was love; gifting me a beautifully formed rock from the excavation of the Pulse Housing Project was love; love ... natural, fluent, fierce, and solid. Kingsley knew how to make me feel loved,” Gordon said as she valiantly fought back the tears.

Tributes were also given by former Prime Minister of Belize, Dean Barrow and President of the Kingston College OBA, Richard Lindsay. A KC old boy and former head boy, Cooper, as Michael Vaccianna, chairman of the KC Board of Management, said, “very often acknowledged the role that Kingston College played in shaping his life”.

It was no wonder, therefore, that attendees were given pens flowing with KC-purple ink to write their tributes in the guest books, and the KC Chapel Choir was present and on time.

Kingsley Cooper, 71, died on June 18 in a Florida hospital.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com