Barber dies at Pine shop

A prominent Pine, St Michael barber reportedly collapsed and died while working on Tuesday, according to eyewitness accounts.

Anton Denton Brathwaite, believed to be in his 60s, was identified by relatives as the deceased. Brathwaite, of Dash Valley, St George, had operated Denton’s Barber Shop across from the Ministry of Transport and Works for over two decades.

As of press time, The Barbados Police Service had not issued a statement regarding the incident, which is said to have occurred between 11:30 a.m., and midday.

Jamal Brathwaite, the deceased’s nephew, described his uncle as “a good man, a respectable man in this Pine community”. He added, “Everybody knows him, he was a staple in this community. I am quite sure if you had to ask anybody about him they would have nothing but good things to say.”

Upon receiving news of his uncle’s passing, Jamal rushed from his home in St George. “I just ran out my house. I tried to run up through Haggatt Hall to get here as fast as possible. I stopped a guy in a car and offered him $20 to bring me up here because my uncle just passed away,” he recounted.

According to Jamal, his uncle had shown no signs of ill health. They had watched football together two Mondays prior, and Anton had recently messaged about Jamal’s son’s school graduation attire. The deceased is survived by a son and approximately five grandchildren.

A neighbourhood resident, identified only as Miss Linton, reported speaking with Brathwaite shortly before his collapse. “When I saw him he was drinking tea but he wasn’t holding the cup straight. He was trembling. I told him to relax as he put down the cup, that I going and come back. Before I even passed the jeep I heard him collapse,” she said.

Linton attempted to assist Brathwaite, believing he might be having a seizure. Visibly shaken, she added: “I am just taken aback because I saw his last breath, his last smile, his last grin. He watched all of us grow up out here, I know this will hurt a lot of people.”

This sudden loss of the longstanding community figure is expected to be felt deeply throughout the Pine area and among patrons at the sprawling Ministry of Transport of Works and Barbados Licensing Authority complex.  

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb