Paul Braithwaite remembered as an advocate for community empowerment and educational attainment

BY PAUL JUNOR

We are going to take the time to celebrate the legacy, memories, life and contributions of Paul Daniel Braitwaite. His death on April 9^th, 2023, greatly impacted those who knew him: personally, socially and professionally. He was well known in the African-Canadian community as a committed: community builder, advocate for education and a selfless and passionate agent of: social justice, equity, fairness, tolerance and harmony. He volunteered and helped a wide range of community groups in his lifetime.

Paul was born to parents June and Daniel Braithwaite on June 12^th,1949 in

Toronto. After completing his elementary and secondary education, he attended the University of Toronto where he acquired a B.Sc. in Economics and subsequently a law degree from Queen’s University. He decided to pursue consulting in risk management and pursued studies at the Insurance Institute of Canada and its American counterpart.

He was a Fellow of the Insurance Institute of Canada (F.I.I.C ) and an Associate of the Insurance Institute of Canada (A.I.I C). He worked at Bates, Thouard, Tierney and Brown and subsequently the Wyatt Company. Paul co-authored with Francis Tierney the book, “A Guide to Effective Insurance,” as well as another book on insurance. He worked as a senior policy analyst in the Insurance and Deposit Institutions Policy of Communication Branch of the Ministry of Finance.

Paul’s funeral was held at Christ Church-British Methodist Episcopal Church in Toronto. This was the church community that Paul was a part of for many years. It was officiated by Rev. Maurice Hicks and Rev. Dr. Chester A. Searles, the current Minister of the BME. He shared how after a catastrophic fire, Paul was able to locate an independent adjuster, who was then able to ensure that there was a better appraisal of the loss and thus enable the church to save a lot of money.

Tributes were read by: Mr. Leroy Crosse, barrister and solicitor, Ms. Elizabeth Pontes, Vice President of Future Aces and his sister, June Braithwaite. There were many stories shared and memories highlighted regarding Paul’s love for people, and compassion for the less fortunate. He had a selfless devotion to community enrichment and support for students toward their academic goals. Paul’s wife, Susesan Alves, read the eulogy.

Some of the voluntary and charitable organizations that Paul gave freely of his time often without any financial remuneration include the following: Black Youth Community Action Group (BYCAP), United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), the Delores Davis Law Guild, the Ontario Black History Society(OBHS),the Canadian Alliance of Black Educators (CABE) and Christ Church-British Methodist and Episcopal (BME) Church.

There were many individuals at the funeral that remembered Paul from his days volunteering with BYCAP in the early 1970s. Louis March shared fond recollections of Paul’s involvement and contributions to BYCAP with me. He told me of Paul’s activism and social justice works during the 1970’s, which was driven by love for community and people. Paul worked alongside individuals such as: Debra Carew, Claire Carew, Sandra Christian and Grace Mitchell to build the organization.

Paul was fondly remembered for his nearly 25 years of volunteer work with the Herbert H.Carnegie Future Aces Foundation, which is a registered charity that fosters self-esteem and ethical behaviour. Its founder, Herbert Carnegie, created the Future Aces philosophy that offers programs focused on youth building positive character traits that reinforce positive and inclusive behaviour. while encouraging youth to attain the highest level of achievement both personally and academically within their capabilities. Paul served as the President and Chair of its Board of Directors and at the time of his death was the immediate past president.

Anyone interested in learning about and donating to the Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Foundation at the family requisitions can do so at website: Canadahelps.org