The Life of Llewe Keith MCcalla (May 25,1937- July 4, 2022)

Llewe Keith McCalla was born on May 25, 1937, in Bellasgate, St. Catherine,

Jamaica, W.I. He was the 4 th of 6 children for Ethel and Melbourne MCcalla. After

graduating school, Keith, as he was lovingly called, left St Catherine for

Kingston where he worked for La Parisiene, an AG Hanna Store. While there, he

took a course in NCR Computer that helped him to get a job at the Sevens Estate

near May Pan, Clarendon as a payroll manager and pay master for factory

workers and cane cutters. It was while he was working in Clarendon, that his

heart started beating hard for the beautiful, young lady who was visiting her Aunt

Joyce and would later become his wife.

In 1957, Llewe and his brother, Stanley were on board a train heading to

Kingston from Montego Bay. They had gone on a Catholic Church excursion.

When the train got to Kendal, Manchester, it derailed killing most of the

passengers. This was the worst train crash in Jamaica’s history. Llewe and Stanley

were lucky to be among the survivors.

In 1967, Llewe took a leave of absence from his job at Sevens Estate and finally was granted a Visa to

migrate to the US. He entered the United States by way of New York. He traveled to California,

Connecticut, and then finally settled in New York. He worked at a print factory and then New York

Telephone Company where he worked his way up to the position of Assistant Manager.

Lorna joined him in New York where, in July 1970, they were joined in holy

matrimony. Shortly after, Llewe took a leave of absence from the telephone company and joined a

company called Holly Day Magic, a fruit-based skincare product line. He and his

new wife moved to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands to promote their new

business. While in Puerto Rico, they won a trip to a convention in Rome, Italy since sales with their

business was great. He once said while in Rome, he learned the real meaning of “when in Rome do as

the Romans do” . They had wine with dinner, every day while there and he and his Wife had the most

wonderful times of their lives. A few years later, while they were on a trip for a convention in

Hollywood, Florida, they fell in love with the scenery which reminded them of their beloved

country, Jamaica and so the couple decided that they would move back to the US and would live in

Florida after realizing that the skincare business was no longer doing well, and he was no longer able to

get the same position at the New York Telephone Company, after returning from leave. So, Llewe

accepted a position as repair clerk, in Hialeah, Florida. Before long through hard work, Llewe was

appointed Assistant Manager, a position he held until his retirement in his early 50’s. Despite the

demands of his job, Llewe found time to go to school and earned an Associate degree from Miami Dade

College and a Bachelor’s degree from Barry University. In his Retirement he sold Real Estate after getting

his license and Investments, which he did well in! Llewe loved to sing, write poetry and do some acting

from time to time (those who knew Llewe know that if it wasn’t for the phone company career, he

would have been an entertainer). For 35 years, he was a devoted member of the choir at the St. Andrew

Catholic Church, Coral Springs, Florida. The union of Llewe and his Lorna produced two children,

Michelle and Michael, and one granddaughter, Lenae.

Llewe was a very kind, unselfish, and a motivated person. This was clearly shown in the

efforts he put into sponsoring his brothers, Stanley and Gladston, and their

families, so they too could enjoy the American Dream. Also, anyone who knows

Llewe, know how friendly, calm, and pleasant he was. He was quiet but could talk about any topic from

food, politics, real estate, to investments! He was a good cook too. His specialty was soup (which we

loved) and amazing Omlettes. He also made great tasting and very hot scotch bonnet peppered sauce.

He was an avid sport person. He coached soccer and baseball for his kids, played golf with Michael and

Lenae. He also was a great semi pro-bowler, entered many tournaments and won many trophies, and

played tennis! As he got older, he continued walking every morning for miles and loved to keep a tune

while whistling. He was very active and liked to be always on the move.

He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend.

On July 4, 2022, Llewe accepted the call to have eternal rest and to end his pain. He is gone but will

never be forgotten. He will be missed dearly. May his soul rest in peace and may perpetual light shine on him.

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