The Kingston College community celebrates the lives and mourns the passing of two stalwarts who made us proud on and off the field .

They were both members of the class of 1968.

I read somewhere recently that as we get older, we should expect our social circle to change and eventually become smaller. Children grow up and move out (often to other countries) to undertake academic and other professional pursuits. Often they start families of their own. These developments are taken as causes for celebration. But at the same time we start to lose parts of the circle. Grandparents and parents die. And as we approach the proverbial "three score and ten" we start to lose friends…the guys and girls we hung out with, played games with, flirted with, and sometimes made mischief with.

I feel sure I speak not just for myself when I see an e-mail from one of our alumnae associations that 'Another Fortis has fallen.'

Yes I know. The translation of Kingston College's motto, Fortis Cadere Cedere Non Potest' to Standard English, is "The brave may fall, but never yield." It is an inspirational creed…something to put the steel in the spine of the young men fortunate enough to have benefitted from what Kingston College had to offer…to help them find the courage to do their best in anything, indeed everything, they were pursuing, and to persevere, even in the most difficult and dire of circumstances.

But whenever I see one of these headlines, the word 'fallen' is like a blow to the stomach…a sucker punch, if you will. It hits you with a different level of force, depending on how well you knew the 'Fortis.'

This month it has hit us twice…ironically about two men who did the lion's share of their tertiary education at schools other than Kingston College, but who were undeniably beloved members of the Fortis family.

Peter Daniels (who came to KC from Calabar High School) and Gerry Murray, (a Jamaica College alumnus), were immediately and seamlessly integrated into the Clovelly community. In fact we are told that Peter (everybody called him Dan Dan), was seriously considered for leadership of the KC Manning Cup team.

"He was a calm and confident individual with all the social graces and a positive attitude," remembers Stratton Palmer who played on the same KC Team. "All these qualities were cultivated by his father."

Lenworth 'Lennie' Smith explains "His father, an Elder in the Orthodox Brethren Church, led a home grounded in Christian faith and devotion. As a result of this Christian upbringing, Peter gave his life to Christ at an early age. This was a decision that guided his character and values throughout his life."

We know less about Gerry Murray's home life, but what we know is that he exhibited similar attitudes to 'Dan Dan"…serious, hardworking on and off the field, a team-player and a calming presence.

They both loved football...really, really loved the game.

Stratton again..."Gerry lived and grew up across the 'football' field in Mona Heights at Buttercup Drive. He and a 'gaggle' of young boys would hone their football skills morning, noon and night and young Gerry was in the primary group."

As Stratton tells it, the hard work paid off. At KC "he was a brilliant right winger on the winning Manning Cup Team for K.C. in 1967 and went on to be selected to the All Manning Team which defeated their rural counterpart, the All DaCosta Team to lift the Northern Ford Shield." Peter Daniels played on both teams.

Post KC, Gerry was awarded a scholarship to Michigan State University in the United States where he studied Mechanical Engineering. And of course he played on the 'Spartans' the nickname given the championship winning team at Michigan State.

An interesting aside is the number of Jamaicans, not just KC alumnae, who have played for the Spartans; Junior Higgins, Lennox Robinson, 'Pummy' Goodison, Franklyn 'Bowler' Morant, Leslie Lucas are just a few.

But to 'Dan Dan's post KC activities.

Peter attended the University of the West Indies (UWI) where he pursued a degree in Management Studies. After graduating from the UWI he worked in the banking sector.

At UWI he had met a Bahamian student named Leonora, described by Lennie as "the love of [Peter's] life." In 1976 he married Leonora and they moved to the Bahamas where their "beautiful partnership rooted in love, laughter and shared purpose," produced three children. There Peter began what would become a remarkable 40-year teaching career at the College of the Bahamas (now the University of the Bahamas)."

He started as a lecturer in Business, was promoted Dean of the Hospitality and Tourism Studies, Head of Management and Marketing Studied and then Associate Professor. He played a key role in developing and teaching courses that shaped a generation of Bahamian professionals.

"Peter loved the classroom, the energy of the students, and the chance to make a difference," says Lennie. But he also found time for his other loves: Music…he fancied himself a DJ spinning anything from Dennis Brown to Miles Davis; Cooking…a gathering at the Daniels household was an opportunity to sample Peter's skills at the grill; and of course football. "He played for Nick's Body Shop and the United Football Club for over three decades, earning both trophies and respect across decades on the field," Lennie Remembers.

Against the summary (and it's merely a summary) of these men's lives outlined above, I have difficulty of applying the word Fallen , to their departure from this life. Whatever your religious belief or social outlook, I feel sure you will see that these two KCOBs lived productive and uplifting lives. They did not fall. They completed their early journey with vigour, honor and made outstanding contributions in whatever they undertook.