She died - Elderly woman who accused clergyman of taking funds intended for her burial has passed

Jean Blake, the senior citizen whose car was sold by her pastor and the proceeds used to purchase a vehicle for himself, has died.

Barbara Blake, the sister of Jean, 74, told THE STAR that she died peacefully at home last Saturday after a lengthy battle with cancer.

"She was ready to go. On Good Friday, she was shouting 'Please come for me, please come for me'," Barbara said.

Blake's story first appeared in THE STAR on March 17. Barbara admitted that there now is a shadow of uncertainty cast over the retired teacher's funeral expenses as she had planned to use the proceeds from the sale of the car to do that. She said a group of past students who Blake taught at St Jago High School reached out before Blake passed and promised to help in any way they can.

One of those past students is Hubert Smith.

"Miss Blake was very instrumental in grooming the troublesome boys at Jago then. She was really that kind of disciplinarian," he said.

END WAS NEAR

Jean Blake, in a letter, dated April 8, 2014, purportedly written to one of her church sisters, said Kevin Campbell, her pastor at the Prophetic House of Worship Church, was to use her Nissan Sunny motor car, as she had got too sick to drive. She instructed the church sister to take the car from Campbell and sell it for no less than $360,000 because she felt like the end of her life was near. She said the money should be used to bury her.

"She was ready to go, that was why she asked about the money for the funeral," Barbara said.

Campbell, in an interview with THE STAR last month, said the car was a loan, but he said that the vehicle was later turned into a gift. He said any suggestion to the contrary should be seen as "false, phoney, and erroneous" and of the "devil".

Attempts to contact Campbell proved futile up to press time yesterday.