ISLANDERS braved the wind and rain to gather in the Royal Square on Saturday night for a candlelit vigil in memory of journalist Gary Burgess.
During the event, which was organised by Pride of Jersey finalist Cheyenne O’Connor, attendees held lights and candles for the celebrated broadcaster who died on New Year’s Day following a battle with cancer.
An emotional speech was made by Miss O’Connor in which she described Mr Burgess as a ‘hugely respected man who everyone adored’ and ‘one of the most courageous people she had ever known’.
Guitarist and singer Rick Jones performed and a recording of Mr Burgess bidding farewell was played. Those attending then placed their lights and candles on the ground to the tune of Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a Wonderful World’.
A collection bucket was circulated with proceeds due to be given to a charity chosen by Mr Burgess’s husband, Alan.
During his career in Jersey, Mr Burgess worked predominantly for ITV Channel but also wrote for the JEP and presented his own show at Channel 103.
Prior to arriving in the Island, he worked in the UK and Guernsey – picking up his first job in 1992 at Radio Wave in Blackpool. During this time, he set a world record for hosting the longest radio show after presenting for a staggering 76 hours as part of a drive to raise money for a new £2.9 million cancer unit for the town.
He was born in Manchester in 1975 but moved to South Africa at the age of six and witnessed the apartheid regime first-hand. It was, he said, an experience which inspired him to stand up for those who were unable to stand up for themselves.
Last year, he was crowned JEP Pride of Jersey Community Champion of the Year after thousands of Islanders voted for him. He was also a near-constant presence on social media, with nearly 19,000 followers on Twitter.
In the early stages of the pandemic, Mr Burgess developed a reputation for holding politicians and government officials to account during live press conferences.
And in his personal life, in 2018, the reporter and his partner, Alan, became the first same-sex couple in the Island to convert their civil partnership into a marriage after new laws were enacted.
In part of a final message he wrote to be issued after he died, he said: ‘I’ve had the best life. I’ve had the luckiest life. I met my soul mate and the love of my life who went on to become my husband.
‘I got to work with some of the most amazing people in newsrooms and studios doing the job I absolutely adore.
‘And I’ve been able to share my own relatively short time on this planet surrounded by friends and loved ones who have enriched my life in ways they may never truly understand.’
