VETERAN JOURNALIST, David “Bouncy” Alleyne, has died at the age of 49.
A reporter with The Nation Publishing Company, he passed away at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital during the early hours of yesterday, following a brief illness.
Alleyne, who previously worked with the Barbados Advocate, the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and STARCOM Network, first joined the NATION in 1996 as a freelance reporter.
Educated at Harrison College, he was a prolific writer whose vast knowledge was often sought out in the Fourth Estate Unit of the Advertising Department, where he worked on special advertising features.
Lyle Jones, deputy business manager of the Unit, yesterday described Alleyne as “a news man in every sense”.
“When David got a scoop he would be literally bursting at the seams to share his story. He was curious, and always kept his nose close to the ground, whether it was the political or current affairs scene.
“One of his passions was motor sports. He gave lots of time to rally coverage and set about working to build relationships with those in that sphere – both locally, regionally and internationally,” Jones said.
“He was also a reliable, dependable writer. I will always remember one of his favourite sayings was: “I have to make bricks without straw,” Jones said.
CEO and Publisher of The Nation, Vivian Anne Gittens, said David had established a record for completing features at very short notice, and expressed sincere condolences to the Alleyne family.
His dad, former teacher Stafford Alleyne, yesterday recalled his second child, as a person who loved reading.
“He was a private person, and one who was always willing to help his neighbours.
“I taught David and the other children before they entered school, and his ability to read remained with him. It was amazing the number of books he read, and he was able to translate this into his work.
“As a child he never created any problems for his mum and me, and he had a good relationship with his siblings. We will certainly miss him. His sickness and death have been a shock to us. It will take us some time to come to grips with it.”
Along with his father, Alleyne leaves to mourn his mum, Inez, also a former teacher; brother Henson, and sisters Andrea and Dawn. (CH)