Dougie Cambridge passes out quietly

Douglas Cambridge was one of the nation’s most versatile sportsmen. His ability was borne out on the field of play. He represented this country at both cricket and football, and after his playing days were over, he served as coach for the national senior football team.

His dedication to sport was profound and his contribution to other spheres of development was equally dynamic.

Cambridge succumbed to a heart attack last Saturday three days after having been admitted to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital. {{more}}

Dougie as he was affectionately called was an allround talent. Aged 64, he was running the Dougies Customs and Shipping Agency.

One with an imposing structure, over six feet tall, well built and muscular, Cambridge had all the natural attributes of an athlete.

He was a central defender with the team Notre Dame, a football team of legendary note in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

That unit formed the nucleus of many of the nation’s football squads in the sixties and seventies. Cambridge used his gift to produce some lively medium pace spells. And his batting skills made him more than an average lower order batsman.

His establishment of the Shipping Agency was a culmination of his dedication to a field, which he nurtured as a Customs Officer.

Ex-wife Cora described him as a “very good person,” They produced a daughter Simone, a Nurse in New York.

For Cora “there was no better father than him.”

She reflected on him as one of few words, when he spoke, there was a sense of profundity.

“He was a quiet and private person,” Cora pointed out.

Annesta Ollivierre is one whose life was influenced by Cambridge. She worked with Dougie’s Customs and Shipping for 22 years.

She endorsed Dougie’s stature as a “quiet, very good man.”

Ollivierre reflected on Dougie’s passing as sudden. She saw him last week Tuesday when he turned up for work.

He complained of chest pains and was taken to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital Wednesday. Ollivierre, who visited him at the hospital endorsed his community spirit.

Cambridge was a kind and generous man. “If you have a problem and you approach him, he will try and help you as much as he can,” Ollivierre said.

She also alluded to Cambridge’s commitment to education and his desire to be a volunteer in the National Literacy Campaign.

Cambridge will be buried next week.