Local icon Maisley Janilee Clifford, affectionately known as ‘Ms Janilee’, has passed away.
She had celebrated her 90th birthday in April.
Her son, Customs and Border Control Director Charles Clifford, announced her passing in a heartfelt post on Facebook on Thursday morning.
“God has called you home because He needed another angel and servant in Heaven. RIP Mommy. We will miss you so much and shall love you forever,” he wrote.
A legacy of love
He issued a short statement to the Compass on behalf of himself and his four sisters, Cathy, Carol, Janet and Susan.
“Our mother faithfully served our community for many decades and in so many ways, most notably as a school teacher,” the statement read.
She helped to influence “more than one generation of Caymanians, many of whom are occupying or have occupied key public and private sector positions. She has served well and now she is at rest,” he said.
The CBC boss and former parliamentarian lauded his mother’s legacy in his social media post.
“Our Cayman society shall be eternally grateful for your selfless service to our country. Whether it was in our Education Services, Red Cross, Pink Ladies, NCVO, Seafarers Association, Agricultural Society, General Elections Office, the Robert Young Church and the Elmslie Memorial United Church, you served without hesitation or equivocation. You certainly inspired me to be a public servant,” he wrote.
Premier Wayne Panton, in a post on his official Facebook page, expressed sadness upon learning of the 90-year-old’s passing.
“Ms Janilee was a phenomenal Caymanian lady, who influenced the lives of multiple generations of Caymanians. Ms Janilee was one of those special teachers in my life. Like so many of her students, I had deep affection and respect for her,” he wrote.
He added, “I always maintained that teachers like her should receive all accolades and recognition for their contribution to molding generations of Caymanians because of the love they exude for others above themselves,” he said in the post.
Panton expressed his sincerest condolences to Clifford’s children, grandchildren, extended family and many friends.
Life-changing work
Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart, in a short statement to the Compass, said he, too, was “deeply saddened” to hear of her passing.
“I have known her all my life. Growing up on Crewe Road in the 60’s and 70’s, my family home was about a quarter of a mile from her home. As a teacher, Miss Janilee taught my two younger brothers and two of my daughters at Cayman Prep School. She was loved, admired and respected by all my family,” McTaggart said.
He extended deepest sympathies to all the Clifford family on behalf of himself and the Progressives.
“I pray that they will take comfort from her legacy of service and commitment to the Cayman Islands and the lasting influence she had on the many hundreds of children who passed through her classroom over the years. May her sweet soul rest in eternal peace,” he added.
The Compass, in 2020, paid special homage to Clifford in a feature article highlighting her life and her many contributions to the islands.
Clifford was a stalwart in Cayman’s community.
She was a much-loved teacher at Cayman Prep and Elmslie Sunday School, as well as secretary and a hardworking volunteer at the Cayman Islands Seafarers Association.
In 2008, Clifford was awarded a ‘Certificate of Appreciation’ for her work with the Vision 2008 10-year Strategic Plan for the Cayman Islands.
She was one of the 358 signatories of the 1957 petition that lobbied for the rights of women to vote, to be eligible for election to all public bodies, and to be on equal terms with men in public and political life in the Cayman Islands.
Cayman Islands Seafarers Association (CISA) president Denniston Tibbetts, in a comment to the Compass, also extended his sincere condolences to the Clifford family.
“We at the CISA loved her and she played a big part in the Seafarers Association, she was the only female to be nominated and elected as a VP of the Association and played a huge part in the start of our annual Calendars which we publish every year. Up to a few years ago she attended our regular monthly meetings. I always checked on her by calling one of her daughters. She will be greatly missed by all. May her gentle soul RIP and light perpetual shine down on her,” Tibbetts added.
Funeral arrangements are yet to be announced.
Additional reporting by Laura Durston.
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