It was an afternoon of reflection and remembrance, under blue skies and intermittent rainfall, yesterday for the hundreds of people who converged at Spring Gardens Moravian Church and later at St John’s Public Cemetery to pay their respects to media icon and patriot Winston “Mr D” Derrick.

In his first public remarks since the death of his friend Winston Derrick, Dr Errol Cort recalled spending Derrick’s last day on earth with him.

Crowds are expected to turn out today for the thanksgiving service for the man who dared to, and eventually broke, the chains of suppression on broadcast media in Antigua & Barbuda 12 years ago.

As the state gives iconic independent broadcast media pioneer Winston Derrick an official send-off today, police have cautioned that parking will be forbidden in some areas of the city to allow for the funeral procession led by police and the military.

“The Winston Derrick Story,” a radio-documentary on the life and times of the former chairman, premiered yesterday on OBSERVER radio.

Cabinet has appointed Acting Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Gender Affairs, Winston Williams as chair of the Official Funeral Planning Committee – co-ordinating the official Thanksgiving Service for the life of Co-founder and Chairman of OBSERVER Publications, Winston Derrick.

“For me Mr D, as I always liked to call him, was a caring and tender-hearted person, who carved out a special place in his heart for everyone.

Members of the local media fraternity, in particular former OBSERVER Media journalists, looked back with fondness the days they spent working for the company’s chairman, Winston Derrick.

In the wake of the sudden death of OBSERVER Publications Ltd Chairman Winston Derrick, condolences and tributes have come pouring in from many segments of society, including several dignitaries.

No voice. No money. No media experience. No support from the political directorate. All the Derrick brothers had was a dream that evolved into a vision.