The legacy of the late Jamaican business titan Lascelles Chin, OJ was further cemented with the launch of his biography What a Life! at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel on Wednesday, February 5. The intimate group of family, friends and business leaders gathered in The Gardens to celebrate the work written by Dr Angela Ramsay, chronicling Chin’s journey from humble beginnings in Bog Walk, St Catherine, where he was born, to his entrepreneurial rise, culminating with the founding of LASCO Distributors Limited in 1988. Hosted by the LASCO Chin Foundation, master of ceremonies Paula-Anne Porter-Jones opened proceedings after a musical interlude from Dwight Richards and Friends who also performed the national anthem. A stirring performance of The Lord’s Prayer
by Maria Myrie was followed by a prepared statement from Governor General Patrick Allen who was unavoidably absent, read by LASCO Distributors Chairman James Rawle.

In hailing the launch of What a Life!, Allen not only heralded Chin’s sterling business acumen but also his unwavering commitment to serving the Jamaican people.

“It is a testament of a life dedicated to vision, perseverance and excellence in business and philanthropy. For decades Chin demonstrated the power and impact of hard work, integrity and innovation. Not only building a legacy of success but uplifting others along the way,” Allen said. “His journey is one of inspiration, reminding us that as true leaders, business is not necessarily measured by profit alone, but by the positive impact it makes on society.”

Chin was the driving force behind LASCO’s growth over the last two decades, offering cost-effective, high-value products and services. Through the LASCO Chin Foundation, he also contributed significantly to law enforcement, educators, medical professionals, at-risk youth, sports, education, health and environmental sustainability.

In introducing the biography, Rawle said that Chin’s lasting footprint on Jamaica is the lives he has impacted.

“Although he left us 18 months ago, his legacy continues and will continue to inspire and uplift those who were fortunate enough to know him or were touched by his work,” Rawle said.

The project was a collaboration between Ramsay and Chin, who passed away in 2023. In presenting her perspective, it is Ramsay’s belief that the work honours the man who had, from an early age, a desire to help the less fortunate.

“This entire book is about resilience. He had this philosophical perspective as a child that he wanted to help people. He had this ability to see opportunities out of thin air. He was known as a businessman and an entrepreneur but he was so much more!” Ramsay recalled that Chin was insistent that the book portray a holistic view of his life, bothits achievements and pitfalls, for aspiring entrepreneurs to learn from.

“When we started the book, he said to me: ‘I don’t want this book to be just about my successes. I want you to write about my failures, because entrepreneurs, all of them, have failures and I want them to identify with the book.’ There is a lot of admissions [of failure] in this book of this magnificent man,” Ramsay said.

For Chin’s daughter, Lisa Chin Watts, who read an excerpt from the biography, her hope is that others will be driven to find similar success and stir up similar feelings of patriotism. “You will find many life lessons and experiences which will tell his life story and determination that ultimately led to his success. It is our hope that by reading
What a Life!, persons will continue to remember and be inspired by the legacy of my father,” Chin Watts said.

In his keynote address, former Governor General Kenneth Hall, remembered his friend as a person who had a strong sense of duty, serving the Jamaican public through products that were sourced at the best possible prices to improve the quality of their lives.

“He felt that profits, good sense and patriotism should not be at odds with each other; that they combine in a particular model and furthermore were a perfect complement for good business.

“That is what explained his numerous activities as a patriot, as a philanthropist. Lascelles understood Jamaica as few businessmen did,’ Hall stressed. “He wanted to serve Jamaica. He loved his country, and understood the Jamaican people. He had a sense of what mattered and most of all as a patriot, he wanted to make sure that his business was supported by the majority of the Jamaican people.”

After the event, refreshments were served and guests were given the opportunity to purchase the book and have it signed on location by the author herself Dr Angela Ramsay.

What a Life! is available at Bookland and Craft Cottage.