Written by his daughter, Tamara Smythe
This is a tribute to the late Mervin Samuel Smythe also affectionately called Firdy or Tail Pipe. Late of Fine Grass District Walderston Manchester Jamaica.
He was a trusted and loyal friend, a very good husband to my late mother Pauline Elizabeth Smythe and indeed he was the world’s number one in a million dad to myself Tamara Smythe and my brother Johnoy Smythe. There was never a dull moment with him. He was always giving jokes and breaking the ice in any crowd. He loved to dance and eat curried goat. He said, Goat make you strong.
He dedicated his life to making his family successful. He never thought it to be a burden to assist anyone with anything, be it a loan or some good human service. He always have a lot of encouraging words. Many in the community loved him dearly as he always visit his friends and family and give them a hail and ask them how they were doing.
He was dedicated to his farming as that was the only life he knew, to use his hands to nurture and care whether crops or animals to maturity.
He was a migrant worker for the past 20 years. As a result of that, he was away for six months out of the year. We did have fun together and tried to get as much of him as was possible for the other six months that he would be with us.
He missed out on so many things because he worked so far away however it was a sacrifice he was willing to make, as it was the best way he knew to take care of his family.
Daddy always taught me to fight for what I believed in and he led by example. In the last two years of his time as a migrant worker he did join the community organization Migrant Workers Alliance for Change as he strongly believed in Status for all migrants in Canada. He stood up for what he believed in. He made posters and did anything required in the fight for such a positive change. He never got a chance to live to see the change however I know his contribution meant a lot. I do sincerely hope that his efforts and work on the migrant workers programme was not in vain and will impact the needed positive change.
My dad retired in 2020 and became a pensioner for the year 2021. He said he was getting ill and was not able to continue the programme. He passed away on the fourth of November 2021 and went home to be with mom. He left behind six grand kids, one daughter in law whom he loved and cared for very much.
I am honoured that I am able to give this tribute to my dad on this platform and say farewell and goodbye to a wonderful, trustworthy, faithful, courageous, dedicated, tactful and a prime example to follow. My dad Mervin Samuel Smythe. You are definitely missed.
