CLARENDON
MANCHESTER
ST. ANN
ST. CATHERINE
ST. MARY
ST. THOMAS
CITY CHURCHES
Curtis Cole
June 1, 1919 - June 25, 1988
Curtis Cole was born in Malvern, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica WI, on June 1, 1919. His parents were Stephen and Martha (Levy) Cole. Curtis was from a family of ten (10) children, two of whom died at a very young age. He was the fifth of the surviving children who were: Iris, Astor, Llewyn, Cleve, Curtis, Calvin, Seymour, Fernandez (Chubby).
His early education was at Russells Elementary School (which his older sister referred to as Russells University in an application to work at Yale University). He excelled in arithmetic, at times solving problems that the teacher was not able to. He had an extremely quick mind with numbers (or figures as he would say).
Curtis left home at the age of fourteen (14) and went to Frome Sugar Estate to work. His father gave him two shillings and six pence and told him that the world was his. He told them at Frome that he was a tradesman although he knew nothing. He would often have to hide from the supervisor, using the opportunity and his quick mind to learn the trade of bricklaying (masonry). In a little while he was a master tradesman, and upon inspection of his work was awarded a hefty raise. The management was amazed that this little boy was able to do so well.
Curtis attended night classes at Kingston Technical School on East Street in Kingston while working as a military police officer at Vernam Field, Clarendon as part of the Sandy Gully project being done by the United States military. He had it extremely hard, having to walk miles at a time in order to reach in to Kingston for school. His teachers basically wrote off any possibility of him passing the bookkeeping and technical drawing examinations that he was studying for. However, he was driven by the determination that one day he would be a construction boss. He knew that in order to be successful, he had to be able to keep his books and read building plans. Well, he came out on top of most of his classmates when the results were out, to the astonishment of his teachers. Such was the determination and drive of a man who knew where he wanted to go.
During the 1940s, like many other ambitious Caribbean men, Curtis went to Panama and worked for three years. What he learnt on the project that repaired and upgraded the Panama Canal would serve him later on in his business as a builder. He returned from Panama, and worked with a variety after a while worked with the Leonard I. Chang Company in construction as a supervising foreman. Chang was schooled in construction but gave much of the operations to Curtis, including some amount of hiring and firing. Soon he would meet the two persons that would have the most profound impact on his life.
He met, and on December l5, l95l married Hazel Dene Wilmot in a ceremony at Rehoboth Assembly. The union produced nine children: Curtis Collin, Melody, Donovan, Sharon, Andrea, Lemuel, Grace, Denise, and Wayne. Not long before marriage, he met Christ at the age of thirty, his conviction coming after hearing the gospel song, What a Friend we have in Jesus being played on a radio station. He later made a public confession of his faith at a Youth for Christ rally held at Cross Roads, St. Andrew. Curtis had had a strong Christian upbringing in the home of his preacher-father Stephen who had great involvement with the Plymouth Brethren movement in St. Elizabeth having even a meeting in his home. Later in Stephen's life, and while living in Kingston at Curtis' home, he was involved in the Beechwood Avenue meeting, playing a significant part though advanced in age.
Curtis affiliated himself with the Associated Gospel Assemblies. His contribution to the denomination was varied, from leadership as chairman of the denomination to church planting and building. He felt called of God to preach, and was instrumental in organizing what are now Calvary Gospel Assembly (begun in1957) and Arlene Gardens Gospel Assembly (started in1975). He shepherded both these churches during the infancy of the latter; but after installing leadership and a new pastor for Arlene Gardens, he gave again his full attention to Calvary where he poured out his labor of love until his death in l988.
Pastor Curtis Cole was loved and respected within the church as well as the wider society. The Lord has established the work of his hands, and we can all learn from him as we seek to carry on the work of Christ.
Honoured today by widow Hazel; children Curtis Collin, Melody, Donovan (& Lorraine), Sharon, Andrea, Lemuel (Prince), Grace (& Todd), Denise, Wayne; grandchildren Jasmine, Andrew, Sean, Brittany, Bethel, Stephen, Morgan, David, Curtis, Grace-Michelle, Spencer, Kennedy.
"Pastor Cole will never be forgotten by those of us who knew him. I celebrate with his family his memory. Thanks for reminding me of the anniversary of his passing Donovan. May the Lord continue to bless you all."
P. Headlam.
"A wonderful and well deserved tribute to your dad. Good job . . ."
RRS [Ron Susek]
"We remember him with deep respect."
Sam [Vassel]
"I join you all in celebration of the life and ministry of His son and in prayer for the family."
Dalvern O. Williams
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