Local News

Eulogy of Errol Joseph Maitland 1948 – 2008

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Errol Joseph Maitland was born on March 1, 1948 to Millicent La Qua-Boney of Back Street, Tempe and Eric Maydown Maitland of Belmont.

At the age of four he was taken under the wings of Mrs. Miriam Florietta Evans-Maitland and Wilfred Maitland, his grandparents.

Errol attained his primary education at the Wesley Hall Methodist (Morris) and the St. Georges Anglican (Hindsey) Schools before moving on to the Grenada Boys Secondary School (Grammar) for his secondary learning.

Many recall that even as a primary school student Errol Maitland exercised his entrepreneur skills, selling bicycle rides at five cents each.  And on weekends, under the guidance of his dear grandmother, Errol would offer for sale lettuce and other home garden produce, saving his percentage after properly accounting for his takings.

He was encouraged by his aunts and uncles and grandparents to be honest and trustworthy and to stand by his word. His grandfather, a Superintendent of Prisons, ensured that Errol had a strict upbringing, discouraging disobedience, discourtesy, and as he grew into a teenager and young adult, drinking and smoking, two vices in which Errol never indulged.  Late night liming was not allowed and even as he began courting, he had to be at home at a decent hour.

Errol continued selling rides during sporting events at the Queen’s Park, having acquired several bicycles by this time.  His brother, Patrick, recalled going there with him to assist in managing the bikes.

In the late seventies, seeing the need for public transport over the Grand Etang roadway for workers living in St. Andrew to commute to St. George to their jobs, Errol Maitland purchased a mini bus and began plying the route.  He drove to St. Andrew just after six on mornings so that his passengers could reach to work in the City for eight.  He named the bus “HELP”.  He was the first person to ply that route and provide that service to commuters.  He eventually purchased a few others labeling those HELP 2, 3, etc…and continued to offer transportation to persons commuting from St. Andrew to St. George.

He joined an insurance company selling life insurance before deciding to do round the island sales on his own. He traveled to neighboring Trinidad to purchase various products, including plastic and canned beverages, which he sold wholesale to shop Owners Island wide.

Errol went into the restaurant and motel business, opening The Mahogany at Grand Anse, catering for the late night party goers who stopped at that business place to eat after a night of fun.

Errol Maitland also tried his hand at a movie theatre in La Tante, St. David, where on Friday and Saturday night’s residents from the environs would be entertained with the latest action film.  He also transported movies from the film distributors in St. James, Trinidad to the other theatre operators in Grenada.

He opened and operated a record shop, selling records and audio tapes from Target Record Shop and Porto Fino building on the Carenage and Young Street. He operated in Grenville a variety store, which eventually moved to Market Hill in St. Georges – from where Errol sold bicycle parts, cooking gas, baby supplies, shoes, radios, televisions, video cassette players, Christmas trees and decorations among other items.

At his home in Belmont Errol rented movies on video cassettes, mini mokes and cars until that home was destroyed by fire in September of 1987.

In the early eighties, he became involved in the newspaper industry. He was a shareholder in the Grenada Guardian newspaper, a political publication of the Grenada United Labor Party, under Sir Eric Matthew Gairy, whom Errol supported politically until his demise in the mid nineties.  Errol also went into the newspaper sales business, importing the popular weekly publication, The Bomb, and personally vending on the sidewalks of St. Georges.

In early 1985 realizing that there was money to be made in the  newspaper advertising arena, Errol dived in a started the  Weekly Informer, a publication that was and still is dedicated to the people of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, publishing the views and concerns of the ordinary man/woman and telling their stories. He was excited about the newspaper and put a lot of money, time and energy into it, working alongside the reporters and keeping open a direct line of communication with photographer Carlyle Pye Noel, from his neighborhood. Many a night and wee hours of the morning they would move swiftly to the scene of an accident, suicide or murder.  He gave special discounts on advertising and in little time, the Grenada Informer, as it became, moved to the number one spot in advertising and sales.

Expansion of his various businesses came quickly, as ideas flowed form Errol Maitland’s mind and spirit. He purchased the building that housed Maitland Supplies Limited and refurbished it, adding to the original building and leasing commercial space. He started the auto sales and rental business at Grand Anse in the late eighties. In 1992 he opened Convenience at Pt. Salines Int’l Airport, catering to the workers at the airport, travelers, those who were there to welcome and bid farewell to travelers. In 93/94 he purchased what used to be Geo. F. Huggins garage on Market Hill, offering low cost parking there and operating a video arcade before cleaning it up and creating small commercial apartments which were offered at a low cost for small business operators.

He expended his media business to radio in 1996 (August 21st, the seventh birthday of his daughter, Karol); and television (May of 1997). He brought Carnival live from Tanteen that August and broadcast live on both radio and television many local events, including church services and funerals, special sales at city firms and concerts at the various state institutions.

But despite all of those accomplishments and the hard work throughout the years; Errol Joseph Maitland, had not attained his heart’s desire, his childhood dream. He told the story over and over again about his intention to own and operate The Reno…..

 He was a primary school student and was, as usual, in the lobby of Regal Cinema with a pal looking wide-eyed at the numerous posters which advertised upcoming movies. The theatre manager, maybe not tolerant to the habits of young children, demanded that they move away and actually, according to Errol’s recollection, kicked the youth on the bottom as he walked out of the lobby. At that point, Errol looked at the manager and said, “I will own this place one day; and you will have to work for me.”

All the years of work, all his plans were aimed to achieving that one goal – to own and operate that movie theatre.  And on his birthday in 2002 his dream began to near reality.  He had leased the  theatre from then owners, Government of Grenada, who  outbid him in the purchase from W. E. Julien & Co. Ltd. a few years before that.

In 2007 that childhood dream was finally realized!!!!! 

Errol Maitland sired his first born, Elton Errolle Maitland in 1968, at the age of twenty.  With Elton’s mother, Joy Straker, Errol produced another son, Paul. He married Noreen Chandler from Mt. Moritz, who in 1972 gave him his first daughter, Angelique. Doreen Lalgie, Cynthia Blackman, Carla Rae Briggs and Nesra St. Louis bore Errol Joseph Maitland the following children over the next twenty two  years: Champ (1981), Evita(1982), Errol Jr. (1984), Krystal (1985), Earl (1985), Karol (1989), Kiera (1995), Charlton (1996) and Errol Joseph Nas (2003) are the other offspring of Errol Joseph Maitland, who said frequently that children were blessings, expressing the wish that his children would take interest in his businesses and work as diligently and honestly as he did to keep his life’s legacy alive after his passing.

The passing of Errol Maitland on the 24th of September 2008 has touched the hearts of many not only in Grenada, but across the globe.  He was a good man, a great man, who will definitely live on in the hearts of those who love him.

May his Soul Rest in Peace!

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3 Comments

  1. Karol (Angel), Kiera (Gypsy), Charlton (Bigman) Maitland

    A year ago, despite encouragement and support from his family and friends, our father, Errol Joseph Maitland yielded to complications of diabetes, hypertension and a broken heart. He was only sixty.

    Twelve months later, we, his children and a few close friends are yet to come to grips with his absence from our lives. It has been tough, going on with our studies and work without his input, his advice, his criticism.

    There have been many changes in the businesses he worked so hard to establish, many of them too painful to accept. It is common knowledge that he would have done things differently, and, in our opinion, better.

    Life goes on, and we get older, but will we ever be as wise as he was? Can we reach as far as he did?

    We are convinced that Errol J. Maitland was blessed. We have no doubt that our Dad was special. His success had nothing to do with luck.

    We keep on making the best effort we can to ensure that we keep his lifelong work afloat, despite the odds, despite the animosity, despite the incomprehensive changes.

    E. J. Maitland will be missed for a very long time. Even though he was far from perfect, even though he could have done better, there is nothing to convince us that he did not mean well.

    Many more years will pass and many other changes will be implemented.

    In spite of everything, Errol Joseph Maitland, Maitie, our Daddy, will live forever. He has never left our hearts and will always be a part of us.

  2. My father named me after the great actor Charlton Heston.
    He was the first to hold me after my birth, after the midwife cleaned me up.
    Daddy was proud to take me to work with him, every morning from the time I was three weeks old.
    He was a loving father and taught me a lot about life and business.
    I enjoyed staying with him at the Reno Cinema until late in the night or at the Guest House…
    I remember how worried he was during Ivan, the Hurricane in September 2004. when he was driving us back to Westerhall Point. He did not want us to be harmed.
    He loved all of his children – all twelve of us – and wished that we would love one another too.
    I love him too.
    I miss Daddy. I will try to make him proud.

  3. Mr Errol Maitland was my father and I loved him very much. His death was, and is a shock to me.Everyday I pray that someone would awaken me from my horrible nightmare,that I will make a phone call and my dad would answer.He was a business man, a dream chaser, a hard working individual but most importantly he was a father.
    I would remember waking up to him inspecting my hands,cause they were exactly like his, or on sundays he would bring my brother Champ and I to ride on his Motor Bike. He loved us in many different ways but he will never know how much we loved him back, cause from one end to another it was tough love.
    Approximately 10 days after I gave birth to my son,my dad closed his eyes, and the saddest thing is, he will never know his grandfather and will never get to play with him.In his last days I never got to speak to him, I regret it everyday and I wish I could turn back time,but in another life.
    In his eulogy which I would believe was written by Carla Rae Briggs, she forgot to mention that with the birth of the newspaper,so was the birth of me and my brother Earl.
    Daddy I love you and may your soul rest in peace.