USATF President, CEO for McCook’s funeral
PRESIDENT of USA Track and Field Stephanie Hightower and its Chief Executive Officer Max Seigel are among the officials in the island to attend today’s funeral service of the president of the North America, Central America, and Caribbean Area Association (NACAC) Neville ‘Teddy’ McCook.
McCook, who was also a former president of the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association — now Jamaica Athletic Administrative Association (JAAA) — died at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) on Monday, February 11 at the age of 73.
“He was not only a professional colleague, but he was a friend, so we felt that it was important for us to represent our federation,” Hightower told the Jamaica Observer from her seat in the stands of the National Stadium where she watched yesterday’s 37th Gibson Relays, which was also founded by McCook.
“He was a man of integrity, someone we very much respected, and always about fairness and we wanted to be part of his outgoing celebration,” Hightower, who is on her second visit to the island, said.
“Under NACAC he was always very supportive of our competition of our athletes. If we had issues within the region we knew that we could count on (him) to be fair and represent us, so we wanted to be here to show our respect for everything he has done for us,” she added.
McCook’s memorial will be held at the Kingston College Chapel on the North Street grounds of his alma mater this afternoon.