Crosby patriarch passes

Speaking with Newsday, comedienne Nikki Crosby said her grandfather always told her, “All you have in this world is your name”, and insisted that in these times one has to leave a good family name. She said he was truly a family man and referred to him as “Mr Manners.” He taught his children and grandchildren lessons such as responsibility and the difference between right and wrong with no gray areas.

To grandson Kevin, his grandfather “prided himself on being one of the first black businessmen on the (Western) main road of St James.” According to Nikki and Kevin, their grandfather’s first business was a bike store. The reason for that was bikes were the primary mode of transport back then, and so he catered for the people in the area.

He then went into the hardware business before settling in the music industry with the Crosby Music Centre store along with his late son, Earl Jr who died on August 3 last year from pancreatic cancer.

However Kevin and Nikki joked, that before the bike store and music business, their grandfather was a wedding photographer while his wife made wedding dresses.

“They were the wedding couple,” said Nikki, who added that over the years her granddad became a respected businessman and was very kind-hearted. “He was a pure gentleman, a pure classic man,” she said.

Speaking about Earl Snr’s final days, son Victor said his dad was not really ailing but required assistance to get into a wheelchair and get into bed, therefore he was put in a home a week ago to receive that proper care. He added his dad was barely talking. Yesterday, at about 7.15 am, the family was called to the ALCL, as Crosby senior had just passed.

Victor said of his father, “Regardless of what problems he had, he would reach out to others. A lot of people remember him for that.” As for the life lessons that he has taught his family, Kevin said: “Honesty is work and honesty is pain.”