Retired Justice Ian Forte passes away

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Retired Justice Ian Xavier Forte, the husband of Marlene Malahoo Forte and a distinguished former president of the Court of Appeal, has died.Justice Forte died at his home early Friday. He was 89.Justice Forte had a long and distinguished career in the Jamaican judiciary, spanning decades of service at the highest levels of the legal system.In January 1988, he was elevated to the bench as a judge of appeal. He later rose to become president of the Court of Appeal, serving in that role until his retirement in 2005. During his tenure on the bench, he was awarded the Order of Jamaica.Beyond Jamaica, Justice Forte also served as a judge of appeal in the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands. He also served as a Justice of the Peace for the parish of Kingston.Justice Forte was a devout Roman Catholic. He was married to Marlene Malahoo Forte and was the father of three children from his first marriage to his late wife, Margaret.Details surrounding his death have not yet been disclosed.