Dr Aggrey Irons remembered as witty, patient and passionate advocate for the mentally ill

Writer Psychiatrist-turned-musician, or musician-turned-psychiatrist — the sequence is of no moment posthumously — but Dr Aggrey Irons, who passed away on Saturday evening, is being celebrated as a quick-witted icon in the medical field, an advocate for the removal of the stigma around mental health, and a devoted friend, father, and colleague.

Irons, 74, served in the senior leadership of Bellevue Hospital for several years. He was also a past president of the Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ), former chairman of the Jamaica Coalition for Tobacco Control, and a strong advocate for tobacco control and public health.

He is being mourned and celebrated across social spaces, with many sharing recollections of personal and professional encounters with the man who, in his heyday, was a member of the popular 50/50 band — made up entirely of medical doctors — and the former host of the radio programme Moods and Attitudes.

Professor Marvin Reid, president of the MAJ, said Irons’ legacy is one of healing, leadership, and laughter.

“The medical fraternity and the wider Jamaican community mourn the loss of a brilliant mind and an extraordinary soul, Dr Aggrey Benjamin Irons. Serving with distinction as the president of the MAJ from 2011 to 2013, Dr Irons was a towering figure in Caribbean medicine. Yet, beyond his impressive clinical accolades and leadership, he will forever be cherished for his legendary wit, his infectious humour, and his profound humanity,” Reid said in a statement.

The MAJ president said Irons dedicated his life to the betterment of mental healthcare and the medical profession at large, and that his distinguished journey featured several notable milestones, including receiving the Aaron Matalon Prize for Psychiatry upon completing his medical degree, and serving at several public hospitals, including Kingston Public Hospital, Bustamante Hospital for Children, and Port Antonio Hospital.

“However, he will most be remembered for his dedicated 21-year service at Bellevue Hospital, highlighted by his tenure as the facility's longest-serving senior medical officer between 1983 and 1996,” the statement read.

He is also being celebrated for his professional advocacy, having guided the local medical community as a past president of the Jamaican Psychiatric Association, while maintaining active memberships in multiple international psychiatric groups.

As a teacher and mentor, Reid said that “from 1979 to 1984, he helped shape future practitioners by serving in academic roles within the Department of Psychiatry at The University of the West Indies and as mentor until the time of his passing”.

He added: “Those who had the privilege of working alongside Dr Irons knew that his clinical expertise was always paired with a sharp, comforting sense of humour. He was a true Renaissance man who embraced every facet of life with passion.

“Despite his vast public and professional commitments, Dr Irons’ private life was anchored in deep faith and love. He was a devout Roman Catholic and a dedicated family man. His loved ones were his greatest source of joy, and we offer our deepest sympathies to his wife, Jacqueline, and his entire family during this time. Jamaica mourns the loss of a passionate sports enthusiast, a talented entertainer, and an exceptional consultant psychiatrist who tirelessly championed mental health. We pay tribute to Dr Irons for his monumental contributions to the nation and the Medical Association of Jamaica. His profound wisdom, healing touch, and unforgettable wit will forever resonate with all who had the privilege of knowing him,” he said.

Camille Buchanan, chief executive officer at Bellevue Hospital, hailed Irons as a colossus in the field of psychiatry and a patient, passionate advocate for the plight of the mentally ill, both at the institution and in society.

“When I learnt of his death this morning, it really pained my heart. But the reaction I get from those who worked with him was that he was patient, yet passionate about certain things, and they tell me that his name was synonymous with Bellevue. When you think Bellevue, you think Dr Aggrey Irons. And even though we are not where we would have wanted to be, I owe so much to him, and one of my greatest disappointments is not getting the opportunity to meet him,” she told The Gleaner yesterday.

She said that only recently, another renowned psychiatrist visited the institution and cried at the progress being made. According to Buchanan, he urged her to host a recognition function and invite those who had served.

“So at this moment I pause to honour Dr Irons for his advocacy, passion and patience. He was an educator, and certainly one of those early voices when mental health was supposed to be silent. He dared to really speak openly about mental health at a time when, you know, it was just in hushed tones. So I have the greatest of respect and admiration for his work,” Buchanan said.

“He reminded, and reminds us as Jamaicans, that the persons who we see struggling mentally deserve compassion, treatment, dignity, and hope. He did not merely work in psychiatry; he helped Jamaicans confront the fear around it, face it, acknowledge it, and accept it. That is something you get when you speak of Dr Irons.”

Attorney-at-law and businessman Howard Mitchell said theirs was a friendship that lasted more than six decades, and that their families were as one.

“Aggrey was a close friend for 64 years. [He] curbed my rebellious and irrational tendencies as a youngster and was always there for me with honesty and love. Our families were as one in

looking after both of us, and I hold him a righteous man. I miss him already,” Mitchell told The Gleaner yesterday.

Retired actress and public relations guru Pauline Stone Myrie said the realisation that Irons was gone was deeply painful.

“Facing the fact that my friend Aggrey had finally left this earth was very painful. I knew of his challenges and we had a long conversation about it a few months ago, but I was not prepared,” Stone-Myrie wrote in a Facebook post, noting that they had known each other since the 1970s, when they met in theatre.

Although still in medical school, he tended to all their minor ailments, she said.

That association created a wide circle of friends.

“It was a wide circle. After Aggrey graduated he became my mother's doctor. He signed her death certificate, and my son was like a nephew to him. Aggrey helped me to cope with my mother's death which occurred around the time I was doing one of my biggest stage productions. ‘Ags’, I will miss you and mourn you for a long time but you will always be alive in my heart…” she wrote, ending with condolences to his immediate family.

Irons was also a sports medicine specialist, serving as team doctor for two Jamaican Olympic teams and the World Junior Games in Beijing in 2006. He was a certified boxing judge and referee, and entertained audiences with his gift as a singer in the 50/50 Band, where he was percussionist and lead singer. The group performed mostly on weekends and frequently headlined corporate events, healthcare fundraisers, and major charity events.

Irons also found relaxation in his hobbies as an enthusiastic collector of Jamaican stamps and coins.

He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, and two sons.

erica.virtue@gleanerjm.com