Lt. Stitchie’s family wants the send-off to be open to everyone. The announcement posted to his Instagram doesn’t stop at relatives and close friends. It names fans, the entertainment fraternity, and “all those whose lives were touched” by the man born Cleve Aman Laing.
The funeral service is scheduled for Saturday, November 14, 2026, at the Ronny Williams Entertainment Centre, Louise Bennett Garden Theatre, in Kingston. Holding it at an entertainment venue rather than a private setting fits that wide invitation. The family says the goal is to “celebrate his life, honour his legacy, and bid farewell to a true Jamaican icon.”
That word “celebrate” carries some weight. The post reads less like a closed-door goodbye and more like a public tribute. That suits an artist whose career was always lived in front of crowds.
For many listeners, Stitchie belongs to the 1980s dancehall wave, when his energetic, character-driven deejay style made him a sound system and stage favourite.
Others know him mainly from his later years as a gospel artist. He brought the same delivery and humour into faith-based music, and he became one of the best-known figures to make that crossover.
That split is part of what makes this service unusual. The audience that turns up in Kingston is likely to include both the dancehall crowd who remember his secular run and the church community who embraced his gospel work. Those two worlds don’t always share a room in Jamaican music.
The family’s message also turns inward. They thank everyone who has “reached out, prayed for us, shared their memories, and offered words of comfort during this difficult time.” They add that the support has meant “more than words can express.”
That note of gratitude suggests the outpouring has been steady since news of his passing spread. The post doesn’t list who has been in touch or describe specific tributes.
The family’s thanks to fans and the industry alike make clear the response has come from more than one direction.
The closing lines lean into how he’ll be remembered rather than the loss itself. “Legends never truly die. Their light continues to shine through the lives they touched,” the post reads. It ends with: “Rest peacefully, Lt. Stitchie. Your work here is done, but your legacy will live forever.”
The family hasn’t yet shared further details about the programme, who might perform or speak, or whether the service will be streamed for fans outside Jamaica.
With an open invitation to the entertainment fraternity, attention will turn to which of his peers from dancehall and gospel step up to honour him at the Louise Bennett Garden Theatre.
