Love fills the air at send-off for Bridgett Anderson’s son

Majestically decorated in shades of purple, the Louise Bennett Garden Theatre in St Andrew played host to the thanksgiving service for Ricardo Anthony Munoz Bennett on Wednesday morning.

His mother, well-known artiste manager and décor specialist, Bridgett Anderson, told the gathering that it was a space that she had fixed up royally for several funerals in the music industry, never imagining that one day she would be called upon to do the same for her only child. Ricardo passed away suddenly on December 17, 2025, in New York. He was 42.

And although there were tears at the service, the love that was the focus, served to wipe the tears from the eyes of Anderson and her ex-husband, Ricardo Munoz Bennett. They spoke lovingly of their first child who was a joy to them and equally, his grandparents on both sides.

Anderson, a former Air Jamaica flight attendant, shared treasured stories of young Ricardo enjoying life to the fullest with his extended family of cousins, while Bennett remembered his son telling him that he was not going to be a pilot like him because he “didn’t have wings”. His niece, Carweina Reid, read his tribute on his behalf, as he stood beside her.

It was one of those gatherings where a wide cross sections of persons from the Twelve Tribes of Israel and the music fraternity showed up because, as Denise ‘Isis’ Miller said, “we had to be here”. Minister of Culture, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, was unavoidably absent, but she sent a representative, the pro vice chancellor for the University of Technology, Ali McNab, who said that he was also representing himself because he and Bridgett have family ties through her older sister,Valerie.

“Bridgett is more than my sister ... Ricky came into our lives later on and immediately we connected. My sister flew with Air Jamaica for many years, and it’s just a wonderful connection. I had to tell Babsy that I’ll represent her in name, but in my uttering it has to do with my sister, my brother and of course, their dearly departed son,” McNab said.

He acknowledged the presence of Thelma Dunbar, the wife of the late Sly Dunbar.

“When Thelma and I spoke, I reminded her that Valerie and I were at the Madison Square Gardens show with Bob Marley when he fell ill at the park the next day. It was at the invitation of Sly and Thelma that we were there,” McNab shared.

During his brief speech he pondered “the meaning of life” and concluded that “it’s what we see here ... friends who support each other”.

Among the friends who came out to support Anderson and Bennett were the Queen of Reggae Marcia Griffiths and her I-Three sister, Judy Mowatt, who sat side by side. Despite the unexpected and devastating loss of her husband and best friend Sly on Monday, Thelma Dunbar was there to show her support, and so too were JCDC executive director, Lenford Salmon, broadcaster Elise Kelly, June Isaacs, Colleen Douglas, Sharon Williams-Buchanan, Olgalee Reid, Don Hewitt, journalists Howard Campbell and Richard Johnson, and Garnett Silk’s children and their mother Lovey Banto. Arrayma Smith, Garnett’s daughter, read a poignant letter which she wrote to Bridgett.

Performances came from artistes who are managed by Anderson, Samory-I, Kimmy Gold and Marlon Brown, who played his guitar while singer, Lisa Chai Forrest, gave a heart-stirring rendition of Goodness of God.

In her message, Pastor Lorna Wesley focused on the love chapter, I Corinthian 13, emphasising that “perfect love casts away all fear” and that “without love we are nothing”.

The service transitioned smoothly into the repast at the same venue.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com