Sisters Anna-Belle and Nadanique were both looking to celebrating important milestones with their father and hero, Lloyd Anthony Wilson. But when the retired deputy superintendent of police took his own life on January 24, their worlds came crumbling down.
The 61-year-old fought valiantly against prostate cancer but his health continued to deteriorate rapidly after his diagnosis in 2017.
Nadanique, 35, and the eldest of his four children, said that on the night before the incident they were on the phone for several minutes discussing wedding arrangements.
"I said to him that we are going to go over the colours that he was going to wear. We were going to go into all the nitty-gritty once I got there. When our conversation ended we said our goodbyes, told each other 'I love you' and I said to him, 'we'll talk soon, I'll see you next month'," said the tearful offspring during a telephone interview on Sunday.
"He sounded in good spirits and then I said to him that I was coming down next month (February), and wanted me and him to sit and go over all the wedding arrangements. It wasn't a long call because he wasn't saying too much, but, then again, we are the type who like to sit and observe and catch the vibes of the moment," Nadanique continued.
Nadanique, who got engaged in February 2022, said she was eager for her father to walk her down the aisle in August.
"We were just starting with the preparations and such. I actually spoke to him the night before and I asked him how everything was going with the doctor's appointment and he sounded positive. I guess he was putting on that strong face for me because I have never seen my dad weak, I have always felt safe with him," Nadanique said.
Equally distraught, Anna-Belle, a final-year student at the University Technology of Jamaica (UTech) said that her dream was to see her father present at her graduation, which is to happen in October.
She told THE STAR that during their last conversation he reiterated how proud he was of her while advising her to remain focussed in school.
"He said that no matter what, I must finish school and that no one can move us out of the house. I know he was looking forward to attending the graduation because we always spoke about it. I was looking forward to taking pictures with him also. I was looking forward to seeing him in the audience with my mother because he is my hero," said the 24-year-old, who is studying pharmacy.
According to police report, Wilson was at home with his wife, Claudia, his daughter Anna-Belle, and another relative when they heard an explosion coming from the upstairs bedroom.
The retired lawman, according to Claudia, with whom he was married to for 23 years, was a strong individual who prided himself being a dedicated husband, father and policeman.
"People will say all sort of things because of what happened, but we know him as is that he was a strong man, who loved and provided for his family. He was a dedicated and decorated officer of the law and he had an admirable business-like attitude," the grieving widow said.
She, however, said that Wilson grew "depressed" in the latter days having convinced himself that his health problems was irreversible.
"He also had to remove a kidney in 2021 and so that, along with the cancer, played heavily on him. Before the incident happened, he was'nt sleeping at all. He was pacing around the house night and day, worrying over his condition. He was a proud person and didn't wanted to be a burden to anyone, but he was never a burden to us," the wife said.