Funeral for Sugar Minott’s grandson July 31

The thanksgiving service for David Minott, the grandson of veteran reggae singer and producer, Lincoln 'Sugar' Minott, will be held at the Ranny Williams Centre in St Andrew on Sunday, July 31. It is scheduled to get under way at 10 a.m.

Sharon Miller, David's grandmother and his official guardian, told THE WEEKEND STAR that the teenager's body will be interred in Harker's Hall, on the border of St Catherine and St Andrew.

"We found out that there was a spot available beside Sugar's so David and his grandfather, who loved him so much and prayed for him, will be buried side by side. Sugar's funeral was August 1 at the National Arena and David own is just one day before," Miller stated.

He being a fourth-form student at Wolmer's Boys' School at the time of his death by drowning, the school held a memorial service for him two weeks ago. David, who was an A student, was the public relations officer for Inter-Schools' Christian Fellowship and represented the school's Passion and Purity groups. A video of him from his group showed David articulating his strong Christian beliefs.

"It was the first time that Wolmer's was doing that for any student, but the impact that David had made it necessary. The school community was devastated. Everybody had only good things to say about David. He did a portrait of his grandfather for his art SBA [school based assessment] and he got 93 per cent. David's goal was to top the Caribbean in at least one subject in CSEC [Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate]," Miller said, her voice wobbling.

Giving an update, she noted that she has had "good days and bad days" since the passing of her favourite grandchild. She reflected on David always kissing her and always preferring to sleep in her bed rather than in his own room. She reflected on a child who she would gladly get up early for to cook his breakfast and lunch, and on the grandson who she got full custody of three months before his passing.

"When David went to the Family Court and did the interview and came back, he told me that the lady said that these interviews usually last 15 minutes. But the lady spoke to David for one hour and told him that she is looking forward to seeing him on Profile. But David was like that ... you could not meet him and not be impressed," Miller shared.

She is hoping that the four-hour window between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on July 31 will be enough time for all of David's family and friends to pay tribute to a youngster whom his church family at the Chisholm Avenue Seventh-day Church of God has dubbed "an angel".