Gilbert Dell Fairweather

Gilbert Dell Fairweather was born on January 12, 1950 to Franklin “Sunny” Fairweather and Beryl Flo Jackson in Islington, St. Mary, Jamaica. He attended Hillside Primary School and later, moved to Kingston to attend Excelsior High School. After graduating high school, he went to work with the income tax department. He migrated to the United States in 1969 and lived in Brooklyn, New York, while attending Brooklyn College. In New York, Gilbert worked at Chase Manhattan Bank and Bank of America. He married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Briscoe, in 1972 and moved to New Jersey to work for Exxon Chemical Company. The Fairweather family lived in New Jersey for 10 years before relocating to Stone Mountain, Georgia, in 1984. Their home was always open to family and friends, and soon a mass Exodus from the north began as guests quickly turned into neighbors. In 2012, Gilbert retired from Ciba Vision - Alcon after 17 years as a lab technician. He enjoyed doing crossword puzzles but never had a cross word against anyone. He knew the weight of words and the value of a word fitly spoken. His counsel was always well-timed, instructive and full of concern for its recipient. He was also good at word play, often using puns and verbal wit to reinforce his message. Music was also his passion. And over the years he collected thousands of albums representing reggae, classic rock, jazz, rhythm and blues, and even hip-hop. Gilbert always kept up with the times and the tunes, making the necessary adjustments as the format and technology changed. His vast music catalog, and his knowledge about the artists contained therein, was unrivaled. He was a man of tremendous faith, who made his Christian walk real and attractive to others. He was also a man of exceptional decency, who demonstrated to his children every day how to live with joy and integrity. At no time was this more evident than during his recent battle with prostate cancer. Gilbert is survived by his mother, Beryl; his wife of 45 years, Dorothy; His children, Gillianne, Julian, Kimanne, Abijah, Daniel, and Leanne; grandchildren, Dante, Malik, Bayleigh, Aaron, Ethan, Kendal, and Joshua; six sisters and four brothers; and a host of nephews, nieces, and cousins. He is preceded in death by his father Franklin.