Montego Bay business mogul Tony Hart has died

Montego Bay business mogul Anthony ‘Tony’ Hart, who has the enviable distinction of being the first Montegonian to be inducted into the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) Hall of Fame, has died.

The legendary businessman, who is credited with being the brain behind the development of the Montego Bay Freeport, which came into being in the late 1960s and is now the business hub in St James, reportedly died this morning after a protracted period of illness.  

“Mr Hart’s death is a great loss to Montego Bay. He was one of the persons who helped to build Montego Bay into what it is today,” said Janet Silvera, president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“He is one of the greatest forward thinkers the city has ever seen, and Montego Bay will forever be in debt to him for his phenomenal contribution dating back several decades.”   

In hailing Hart as a much-revered son of Montego Bay, Homer Davis, Montego Bay’s mayor, said his death has robbed the city as well as the business and tourism sectors, in particular, of a giant who has served with the utmost distinction.  

“Mr Hart was a dreamer and a visionary Jamaican … a man whose dream and vision resulted in the development of the Montego Bay harbour,” said Davis.  

“His vision also included development plans for the Bogue lands, the Pye River Bridge, and the dredging of the harbour at the Montego Freeport, which has allowed bigger cruise and cargo ships to dock at pier side.”  

Davis also noted that Hart “dabbled” in politics, firstly serving as a successful campaign manager for the late Dr Herbert Eldermire in 1962, before running unsuccessfully in the general election of 1972.  

Hart, who was awarded the Order of Jamaica for his contribution to nation-building, has held leadership roles in the public and private sectors, including at the Montego Freeport Limited, Apparel Handlers, Caymanas Track Limited, Chairman, Samuel Hart and Son, Coconut Industry Board, Montego Bay Yacht Club, Records Limited, and Federal Records Limited.  

Hart is survived by his wife Sheila, children Mark, Bruce, Blaise and Wendy Hart Schrager.

10 things about Tony Hart  

1. Attended Munro College and was the school's goalkeeper in the 1949 daCosta Cup final against Cornwall College.  

2. Went to Queen’s University in Canada, but only for three months. His first winter was so bitter that when he returned home for the holidays, he decided not to go back. 

3. Worked as a houseman and a fly-fishing guide in Lake Louise in 1951. 

4. Thirty years ago, Hart had six heart bypass surgeries.  

5. Was a serial entrepreneur who started more than 50 companies in commerce, construction, agriculture, and tourism.  

6. Created a five-acre bird sanctuary, populated with bird-feeding trees, as his part in nurturing the environment.  

7. Was an avid lover of horse racing and was once part of a syndicate that owned horses.  

8. His signature style was Bermuda shorts and crocks.  

9. Favourite dish was oxtail and rice and peas.   

10. Was inducted into the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica's Hall of Fame.  

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