Obituary of Sedley Michael McLaughlin

Sedley M. McLaughlin passed away on February 19, 2011, aged 85. He is survived by his loving wife Joan, and his seven children, Michael (spouse Mary), Mary (Doyle), Mark (Joanie), Lesley (Donald), Eric (Terry), Megan (Tim) and John (Jennifer). Sedley leaves 12 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and a sister, Madge. Sedley was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on August 8, 1925, the son of Gilbert Stanton McLaughlin and Ellen Elizabeth McLaughlin (nee Cridland), the third of 4 children who reached adulthood. He grew up in the Bournemouth area, near Kingston Harbour. His father, brother, and grandfather all loved the sea and were pilots and sailors. He won a scholarship and attended Wolmers’ Boys School. Sedley fell in love with Joan and they got married, April 4, 1949. He loved the outdoors and chose a career as a Commissioned Land Surveyor. He worked for the government and private companies over a long and successful career. His surveying plans were works of perfection and were used in teaching others as examples of the highest quality of work. He was a faithful family man who showed his love to his family and relatives. He was gregarious and had a wide circle of friends. He had many talents and an inquiring mind. He was an accomplished piano player. He would sit at the piano and play many songs, both hands, by ear. One of his favorites was “Don’t Fence Me In.” He was a talented artist, dabbling in water colors, oil and charcoal. He was curious about the physical world, especially astronomy. He would take his surveying telescope instrument and aim it at the stars. His children can remember glimpses of the moon, the planets and even a comet with its tail, peering through the theodolite. He was an avid reader and introduced his children to the great world around them through the Tom Redcam Road public library. Sedley also shared his knowledge and love of math, music, and chemistry with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He traveled all across the island for his work, sometimes with his family, who fondly remember trips through the countryside and the beautiful geography of Jamaica. In his mid-fifties he and Joan made the brave move to Texas, to join family there. He worked hard as a civil engineer and city planner. After he retired from full time work, he and Joan made the move to Tampa, where they live near 2 sons and a daughter. Sedley was diagnosed with lung cancer and liver cancer. He understood the seriousness of his illnesses and he faced the end with braveness. He kept his sense of humor to his very last days. He slipped away peacefully, surrounded by his family on earth, to join family members and friends who have gone before him. He leaves behind a legacy of love and generosity.