UWI geology lecturer Donovan Blissett remembered as scholar, mentor, devoted father

Dr Donovan Blissett, the respected geology lecturer remembered by colleagues as a dedicated field scientist, by students as an unforgettable teacher, and by family as ‘Daddy’, ‘Pops’, and ‘Grandpa’, was celebrated during an emotional thanksgiving service that brought together corporate titans, relatives, friends, former students and members of the university academic community.

The service, held at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Chapel last Saturday, painted the portrait of a man whose impact stretched beyond the lecture room. Through tributes from the UWI’s geology fraternity, reflections from former students, and a moving eulogy from his family, Blissett was remembered as a scholar who loved the earth, a lecturer who shaped lives, and a family man whose presence anchored those closest to him.

Among the first tributes was one from Dr Sherene James-Williamson, who described Blissett as her friend, co-worker, and someone she had known for nearly 30 years.

“Donovan was my friend,” she said, explaining that their professional relationship had spanned almost her entire working life. Struggling with emotion, she invited others from the department and among Blissett’s former students to help pay tribute to a man she said had meant so much to the department.

Professor Simon Mitchell paid tribute in a deeply personal way, arriving in field attire as a nod to Blissett’s lifelong connection to geology fieldwork. He said the gesture was one Blissett would have appreciated, noting that they had spent years together in the field and that Blissett had done “remarkable” work in geology.

Mitchell described him as a close friend and said his loss would be felt not only by those who knew him personally, but by students and the wider geology community in Jamaica and beyond.

Former student and 2013 winner of Digicel Rising Stars Verlando Small brought both humour and heartbreak to the service as he recalled his first encounter with Blissett in a laboratory. What began, he said, as a tense disagreement over work on a paper later turned into a lasting friendship. Small, visibly emotional, reminisced that after the lab session, the two sat down, talked, and built a bond that continued long after he left university.

Small, who would later leave the lab and pursue a career in music, said Blissett would often call him a “rock star”. He had recently been trying to reach Blissett to invite him to a performance at the Philip Sherlock Centre when he learnt from Blissett’s daughter that he had passed. The news, he said, forced him to pull over while driving.

His tribute, a rendition of Gramps Morgan’s People Like You, underscored one of the recurring themes of the service: Dr Blissett did not merely teach students; he formed deep relationships with them, followed their lives, and celebrated their journeys.

The family’s eulogy remembered him as a son, brother, classmate, lecturer, husband, life partner, father and grandfather. It noted his early days at Camperdown High School, where he held leadership roles, such as the captain of their Schools’ Challenge Quiz team, and the lasting friendships he built.

Academically, Blissett was recognised for his work in geology, having earned his doctorate after upgrading from master’s studies at the University of New Brunswick in Canada. He had earlier completed a Bachelor’s degree in Geology at The UWI, graduating with upper second-class

honours. His research, particularly in relation to Jamaica’s limestone formations, was described as part of a career that contributed to scientific discovery and inspired generations of students.

To many in his academic circle, he was ‘Dr B’, ‘Dr Blissett’, or simply ‘Doc’; names that reflected both respect and affection. The eulogy made clear that his identity was not confined to scholarship.

He was remembered as a man who knew how to balance seriousness with joy, scholarship with camaraderie, and responsibility with laughter. He was fondly recalled as one of the great companions in social settings, a man whose personality made him memorable in every circle he entered.

For his family, however, his most enduring legacy was love.

His daughter, Akilah, delivering the eulogy, described him as a steady and supportive father who was present through many stages of life, from school activities to personal milestones.

“My father was always there for me,” she said, noting that he was the first person to be called with good news or bad news. The eulogy described him not only as a wonderful father, but as a remarkable teacher whose lessons extended beyond the classroom and into life itself.

He is survived by his children, sisters, life partner, grandchildren and other relatives, as well as the many students, colleagues and friends who regarded him as family.

Dr Donovan Blissett leaves behind a legacy shaped by science, service, humour, fieldwork and love written in the lives of his children and grandchildren, the memories of colleagues who worked beside him, the students he mentored, and in the Jamaican geology community that he helped to shape.