Cargell (Carl) Livingston Holness was born on October 3, 1942 in Coleyville, Manchester, Jamaica to Edgar Holness and Kathleen Henry-Holness. The 4th of 13 children in the Holness family of seven sons and six daughters. Carl passed away on November 11, 2023 in Palm Coast, Florida after a brief illness.
Carl grew up in the warmth of a loving young Holness family and enjoyed all the pleasures and pains of semirural Coleyville life. He often would regale folks with stories of his trips to Yankee and Ticky Ticky with his two younger brothers and father. He was a quietly compassionate young man with a huge entrepreneurial spirit like his father. He began his education at Coleyville’s Bryce Elementary School, making a long walk, “uphill both ways”(smile), to and from school daily. He matriculated to the West Indies College high school in Mandeville, joining older sisters Esmie and Merrillie. While there he formed a lasting foundation of friendship with his schoolmates and would remain lifelong friends with many of them especially, the English Family. Following high school, Carl migrated to Brooklyn, New York on a student visa to continue his education. He attended Brooklyn Community College while working various printing jobs. After meeting and courting the lovely Jennifer Pamella Mills in 1965, they married a year later on July 17, 1966 in Springfield Massachusetts. He graduated with his Associate Degree in Business Administration NYCC in 1967.
Adventurous and determined to work towards a future for his wife and future family he left NYC in 1970. Carl and his brothers Ladford and Hugh dropped Pam off at the airport to fly out of New York. They then proceeded to cross the country by car to Los Angeles, California in pursuit of better business opportunities. The Holness brothers organized and operated a cleaning business in LA. Carl and Pam joyfully welcomed their first child Carey in 1971, then they later returned to New York City, but only for a short while. Carl would go on to secure employment with Reynolds Security, a Wall Street brokerage firm. This began his interest in investments and God had a plan for him.
With a growing number of relatives and friends arriving and settling in the Washington DC metropolitan area, Carl and his family decided to join a community of people who were of like mind, they wanted a more abundant life as well. In 1974 a beautiful daughter named Dana arrived and a year later Carl completed his education, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland University College and found employment as an accountant, first at the Washington Clinic and later, in 1973 with AMTRAK. The entrepreneurial Carl and some colleagues opened a gas station and car repair shop in Silver Spring. He was always using his business acumen to find new avenues to invest in, including ways to uplift his extended family.
Carl’s most consequential engagement came to be the one with his fellow Caribbean Seventh-day Adventist community. The drive and entrepreneurial spirit that had been evident starting early in his youth found full expression within this community. Carl became a founding member of a newly organized Caribbean Adventist Church, later renamed Metropolitan Seventh-day Adventist Church, and was a formidable force in the dramatic growth of that body.
Starting with the shared use of a local community church, Carl joined with Pastor Adrian Westney, other
founding members, and the Allegheny East Conference of Seventh-day Adventists to purchase 9.5 acres of prime property at 6307 Riggs Road, Hyattsville, Maryland. Over several years largely due to Carl's influence, a consistent and dedicated workforce was born. They transformed the undeveloped property into a large sanctuary that is home to a thriving Metropolitan SDA Church, the G E Peters Elementary School, a Multipurpose Facility (gymnasium and banquet hall), and the Chillum Oaks Senior Citizens Center. This vital cluster of facilities are a permanent reminder of the vision, vigor, and commitment of Carl to the community and church to which he belonged. While this property has a high dollar value, its greatest value was the education, cultural and spiritual betterment it provided to God’s people.
After a 30-year career with AMTRAK, Carl retired as a Contract Administrator and moved with his wife to a new home in Palm Coast, Florida. He took with him the same talents, the same passion for service that
animated his earlier life. In his leisure time he played tennis and was an inspiration to Dana, Carey and his immediate family. He also volunteered at the Flagler Hospital in Palm Coast. He gave his time to Maranatha International as a building volunteer going to Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. He also continued to be an active force for the youth of his church, to reach out to the needy around him, and to give back generously to groups and institutions in his beloved homeland - Jamaica, the US and all around the world. His mission was to see brown children everywhere receive excellent educational and career opportunities.
Carl is predeceased by parents Edgar & Kathleen Holness; brothers Neville (Vida), Derrick, and Ladford; sisters Esmie Parchment, Jennet Fisher, Joy Holness, and Jacinth Joyner (McKinley).
He is survived by his loving wife Pam, children Carey (Allison) and Dana, grandchildren Aiden Smith-Holness, Caitlyn Holness, and Quinn Holness; brothers Hugh Holness (Beverly), Alverton Holness (Daisy), and Ennever Holness (Carol); sisters Merrillie Morris (Milton) and Hope Scruggs; sisters-in-law Marcia Williams (Randy), Judeth Holness; Carolyn Holness; brothers-in law Osborne Parchment and Albert Fisher and a host of nephews, nieces, grand nephews, grand nieces, great grand nieces and nephews, "adopted" nieces and nephews as well as close relatives and friends.
Carl will be missed by his family and fellow church members and friends of both Metropolitan and Palm Coast SDA churches.
A compassionate and generous husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend, Carl takes his leave with love for all and firmly committed to “the blessed hope” he was not afraid to take God's hand when He extended it to help him enter his rest. We will see him again
A church visitation for Cargell will be held Sunday, December 3, 2023 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM at Palm Coast 7th Day Adventist Church, 5650 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast, Florida 32137. Following the church visitation will be a funeral service at 10:00 AM at Palm Coast Seventh-day Adventist Church, 5650 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast, Florida 32137.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.craigflaglerpalms.com for the Holness family.
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