Two new stamps have been released to honour the late Wellesley Howell, who passed away last year at the age of 106.
The Cayman Islands Postal Service issued the special stamp in memory of Howell, who was believed to be Cayman’s oldest citizen before he passed away in July last year.
As well as running a shoemaking and repair shop for many decades in George Town, Howell, who was born in Jamaica on 7 Jan. 1915, was also a well-known musician, notably a saxophonist.
According to a press release from the Postal Service, members of Cabinet requested the stamps be issued as a tribute to Howell’s “years, accomplishments, values and his life, both in Jamaica and in the Cayman Islands, to which he moved in 1958”.
The stamp issue includes a set of two stamps in denominations of 25 cents and $2, as well as a first day cover for collectors.
The images on the stamps depict Howell’s prowess as a shoemaker, standing the doorway of his shop on Shedden Road, and as a musician, playing his saxophone solo and also in a group on the first day cover.
The stamps went on sale on 21 April, and the first day covers will be available once they arrive on island, Philatelic Bureau Acting Manager Shindi Beput said in the release.
Postmaster General Sheena Glasgow said of Howell, “What is truly inspiring were his enduring humility, joy for living, love for God and his family and his enthusiasm for staying active, including in the community, right until his passing – without allowing the progressing years to slow or limit him in these areas.”
She added, “Equally motivating was his passion for maintaining high standards and ethics in all the work he did and the fact that he trained many Caymanians in the shoe repair trade. Through his long and abiding love for dominoes, which he even played competitively by representing the Cayman Islands in overseas tournaments, Mr. Howell Snr. also displayed another highpoint of his personality.”
She thanked his family members – which include his son Wesley, who is supervisor of elections and chief officer in the Ministry of Border Control and Labour, and Lyneth Monteith, deputy chief officer in the Ministry of Education – for sharing photos and details of his life “which helps us depict Mr. Howell in the stamp issue and I encourage customers, especially collectors, to avail of this opportunity to obtain a bit of local history”.
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