Jim Lim commits suicide
JAMES Lim, popularly known as Jim, a retired senior executive of Desnoes and Geddes Limited and former Insurance Company of the West Indies (ICWI) vice-chairman, yesterday shot himself to death.
Lim’s lifeless body was found yesterday, lying on the east lawn of his Dillsbury Avenue home in Kingston yesterday with a bullet wound to the right side of his head.
“The time has come to say goodbye,” read the last sentence of what was apparently a suicide note penned by the retired company executive.
Lim, who last year celebrated his 76th birthday with a trip to his father’s homeland, China, in March and a large and well-attended party in October, was found by his gardener just before midday, lying in a pool of blood with his .38 revolver, two live rounds and a spent shell close by. Also beside the body was a handwritten note signed simply “Lim”, which suggests that the former executive took his own life.
“The weight of my depression gets heavier by the hour, by the day… I can’t bear it no longer,” the letter read.
The deceased, it is said, suffered and was being treated for depression, and at the time of his death was taking the prescription anti-depressant Celexa. In his note, however, he complained that the medication was not working.
Born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1927, Lim came to Jamaica in the 1950s, fell in love with the island and decided to relocate here. He later married artist and environmentalist Beatrice Desnoes (deceased 1991) with whom he had four daughters, and began a long career at Desnoes and Geddes Limited. There, starting as sales manager, he eventually was promoted to the board of directors, where he served in several positions including vice-president. He also served on the boards of ICWI, West Indies Glass Limited and the Morgan’s Harbour Hotel before retiring in the 1990s.
Jim Lim is survived by his second wife Jennifer, daughters Robin, Leslie, Shaun, and Mirah, as well as several grandchildren.
Police also suspect suicide in the shooting death of Keith Josephs, former managing director of Aluminium Building Supplies Limited.
According to the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN), at about 3:30 am on Saturday morning, Josephs’ body was found slumped over a desk at his workplace on Molynes Road in Kingston 10 with a gunshot wound to the right ear. The discovery was made by a night watchman who alerted the Half-Way-Tree Police.
On arrival, the police recovered a 9mm Sig Sauer semi-automatic pistol, one expended bullet, one empty casing and a suicide note.