From: Newsday
Smokey of St James passes on
Wednesday, December 22 2010
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Ricardo McKenzie, known by many as Smokey of Smokey and Bunty fame....
Ricardo McKenzie, known by many as Smokey of Smokey and Bunty fame....
Ricardo McKenzie also known as Smokey, co-owner of the legendary St James bar Smokey and Bunty has died.
He died yesterday at 3 pm at a Miami Hospital after suffering from extensive radiation damage, treatment he needed for brain cancer.
On August 23, 2009 Smokey collapsed at the bar and was rushed to the West Shore Medical Centre, Cocorite. Doctors told him there was a tumor in his brain that needed to be removed immediately, it was later found to be a Grade 2 tumour which was curable.
His brother, bandleader, Ian McKenzie said he passed away with his wife, Lisa and his two children by his bedside. “He left five months ago to get treatment, and ended up having four major operations on his head, but it is over now, he has no more suffering, he is in no more pain,” he said. He complained he wrote letters to Health Minister Therese Baptiste-Cornelis and Finance Minister, Winston Dookeran to get financial aid but no one responded.
“We tried to get help from them, we wrote so many letters but we got no response,” he said.
McKenzie said the family is currently making arrangements to get the body back to Trinidad for the funeral. Although he was not sure when the service would be, he said it will take place at St Finbar’s RC Church in Diego Martin.
Even as family and close friends mourned the loss of Smokey, the famous bar remained open yesterday.