The Jose Marti Alumni Association of New York is deeply saddened by the passing of our colleague and very good friend, Dervan Malcolm, who died on Thursday, August 27, 2026, after a period of illness.
To Jamaica, Dervan was a familiar and trusted voice. To the JMAANY family, he was much more than that. He was a friend who believed in our mission and showed up for it year after year.
A Voice That Lifted Us Up
Dervan was generous with the thing a busy broadcaster has least of: his time. For many years he opened his microphone to JMAANY, invited us to share our work with listeners at home and across the diaspora, and helped carry our message about scholarships, school improvement projects, and our commitment to José Martí Technical High School much farther than we could have carried it alone.
Whenever we needed a platform, Dervan made room for us. Whenever we needed encouragement, his upbeat spirit was there. He spoke about our work as though it were his own, and in many ways, it was. He understood that small groups of alumni working quietly for their old school are part of something bigger: a diaspora that never forgets where it came from.
A Life of Service
Dervan began broadcasting on October 24, 1993, while he was still a student and head boy at Calabar High School. He went on to serve Power 106 FM and the Independent Radio Company for more than three decades as a news presenter and editor, sportscaster, talk show producer, and executive producer of programmes.
In 2007 he launched and hosted Both Sides of the Story, a programme known for balanced public discussion. Through The Jamaican Diaspora Live Online, heard on Saturdays on Power 106, he became one of the strongest bridges between Jamaicans at home and abroad. He celebrated diaspora businesses, organizations, and people making their mark in their adopted countries, and he championed road safety, child protection, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement.
His work earned him the Union of Jamaican Alumni Associations’ Diaspora Ambassador in Media Award, the Team Jamaica Bickle Award, and recognition from the City of Los Angeles and the Jamaica Awareness Association of California.
As one diaspora leader put it, “Dervan made the diaspora feel seen, heard, and connected.” We at JMAANY felt exactly that.
Our Thanks, and Our Farewell
Dervan, thank you. Thank you for every interview, every mention, every word of encouragement, and every moment you gave to JMAANY and to the students of José Martí Technical High School. Your friendship meant more to us than we can easily put into words, and we will deeply miss the warm, encouraging voice that always made us feel supported.
To his father, Eric, his sister, Mitsie, and all of his family, friends, and colleagues at Power 106 and across the RJRGLEANER family, we extend our heartfelt condolences. We share in your sorrow, and we will remember Dervan with gratitude and affection.
A thanksgiving service celebrating his life was held on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Boulevard Baptist Church in Kingston.
He would have turned 51 on October 13.
Rest in peace, dear friend. Your voice may be silent, but what you built lives on in every community you lifted up, including ours.
With love and gratitude,
The Board and Members of the Jose Marti Alumni Association of New York, Inc.
Sources: Jamaica Observer, The Gleaner, Press Association of Jamaica via The Gleaner.