BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – BOYZ II MEN and Mariah Carey’s ‘One Sweet Day’ began playing and everyone joined in, paying respect and remembering the late Dale ‘Hot Boy’ Wattley at a Candle Light Vigil held by his Barber shop on Cayon Street last evening (June 11).
Wattley, a 31-year-old resident of Mc Knight, was shot sometime after 9:00 p.m. on May 31, in close proximity of his home, situated in an alley east of Upper Shaw Avenue in McKnight.
Several persons came out holding candles as they remembered the vibrant and charismatic man who claimed to have turned his life away from gang activities and crime.
In fact, he was a part of the New Mentality Team Club in McKnight which was founded by his friend Chad Williams.
In speaking with his adopted mother Patricia Matthew, she said that the Candle Light Vigil was organized at the last minute but they wanted to do something so that people could share their fond memories.
Wattley leaves to mourn his wife, Alex Wattley, his three children Jaheim, Jahdesha and Jahzara; his mother Lucille Wattley and his father Rosevelt ‘Mr. Kool’ Duncan, along with numerous other family members and friends.
His father, who was also a popular barber and taught Wattley the haircutting skills and techniques that made him well known and sought after, said that his son told him he had changed.
Duncan said that he did see a change in his son when he had returned about a year ago after living in Canada for some years.
But at times he did not approve of the company he kept.
He said that he would always talk to him about behaving himself and would also encourage him to return to Canada to his wife.
Duncan also spoke of the many times in the past whenever his son would get into trouble with the law and he would have to bail him or find money to pay lawyers to help with his son’s case.
He never allowed an opportunity to pass without talking to his son.
“When he was between his friends I was always the one in the middle; I was always a father,” he said.
When Wattley became a part of the New Mentality Team Club, he was very excited and positive about making a change and seeing a change in St. Kitts and Nevis in terms of the crime situation.
He spoke to SKNVibes and other media outlets about advocating peace, love and unity and felt that if anyone who wanted to be out of a gang but did not know how, that he could talk to the gangs and help them to get out.
He thought that people should concentrate on their families and finding ways of making a living instead of getting involved in anti-social activities.
He also started concentrating on another positive enterprise he had grown fond of which was his music.
He enjoyed playing his guitar whenever an opportunity presented itself - persons can view YouTube for a live video of him singing his original ‘Choices’.
His funeral service will be held at the Tabernacle Methodist Church on Friday, June 15, at 2 p.m.
When inquiries were made as to why the funeral was being held in Tabernacle, this media house was informed that his mother, who resides in St. Maarten, was from Tabernacle.
