Photo: Dr. Newton Cleghorne speaking at the Mass Club Inauguration Ceremony on the Northern Caribbean University’s main campus in 2019.

Photo Credit: Contributed

By: Chantae McNeil

During a tribute-filled virtual funeral ceremony on September 28, former Vice President of Northern Caribbean University (NCU), Dr. Newton Cleghorne was hailed as a stalwart missionary, a giant in evangelism and a lover of young people.

Vermont Cleghorne, brother of the late Newton Cleghorne, remembered his brother as a man who stood up for what he believed regardless of the consequences.

“After he finished high school, Newton taught English at the Refuge Public school for a brief period. There was a conflict of interest because the soup kitchen was serving pork at lunch. Newton took it upon himself to point out to some of the students from the Bible that pork was unclean. That did not sit well with the principal and as a result, his employment ended quickly,” he said. 

Former coworker and friend of Cleghorne, Dr. Simon Bwambale, remembered him as an all-rounder who made connections for his family and country with NCU.

“He was a very exceptional supervisor, Christian, pastor, teacher, counsellor, mentor, friend, and an all-rounder who has left an indelible mark on the lives of many … I have always said and I will continue to say it forever: Dr. Cleghorne was the connection between my family and our country Uganda, to bring us here to NCU,” he said. 

Wife of the deceased, Dr. Wayne Ireland Cleghorne while expressing her gratitude for the support shared towards her in her time of bereavement, shared the vision she and Newton had for young people.

“He spoke of a place called ‘Lamp and Light.’ It is our desire that that specific building be dedicated to the development of young men in ministry, that they will know the calling of Christ and that they will live a life that will be righteous, guiding and opening the doors for others to live for Christ Jesus,” she said.

The ceremony’s host and church pastor of the university, Joel Haye, ended the program with a special vote of thanks to the different entities and departments who collaborated and made the ceremony a success. 

The thanksgiving ceremony was streamed live at 1:30 pm from the Gymnatorium on the NCU’s main campus. The live stream attracted over nine thousand views, and the internment followed on Wednesday, September 29, in Westmoreland.