Journalist, Mentor, Friend: Jovany O’Brien Remembered
For those who knew Jovany O’Brien, he was more than a fellow journalist. He was a friend and mentor whose quiet humor and willingness to help others left a lasting impression. At XTV, where he worked as a reporter, he was valued for his consistency, dedication and commitment to journalism. Across Belize’s media community, colleagues are remembering not just the stories he produced, but the person he was behind the work.
Mose Hyde
Mose Hyde, Director, XTV
“We are definitely deeply saddened, by we’re not gonna have Jovany around again, he was not loud, he was as quiet as it gets. He’s very passionate about quality, very passionate about standards, and he would be it be known and was already ready to give insights and give ideas and that’s what he brought to us.”
Britney Gordon
Britney Gordon, Media Colleague
“He was one of the first friends that I made as a new journalist. I think he could instantly tell that I was a little bit nervous and new to everything. And he just took me under his wing and helped me come out of my shell when it comes to asking people for interviews and just putting me at ease whenever I was at an event. So he just inspired me personally to be really on my best game and I appreciate that and I appreciate the person that he was and who he helped me become professionally and personally.”
Jaleeza Roberts
Jaleeza Roberts, Media Colleague
“I think that every single one of us, we have a special relationship with each other. You know, working on the field, we might work for competing media houses, but the reality is that we all have personal relationships. And I think Jovany was special that he got along with everyone. He was someone that when we would go to events, he would just be there cracking jokes with us. He was quiet, but he was very friendly, and he would always give us hugs and just really talk to us about different stories that he was covering. He was someone that was always fascinated with these self-help stories and these societal stories. We saw passion when it came to that. He liked highlighting the good happening in Belize and I think that’s what really set him apart.”
Benita Keme-Palacio
Benita Keme-Palacio, Friend of Deceased
“I’ve known Jovany for about 10, more than 10 years, i remember graduating fresh out of school going into my first job, which was at BMA here in Belize City. I was new to the field and he was one of the coworkers I started with and he guided me through a lot of things. Jovany was a very quiet person if you see him from afar but once you got to know him, he was such a beautiful soul, he was so witty, he was so funny, he had jokes at the same time that he would kind of diss you but still be funny about it, he was so approachable and personable that he was able to take you on as a friend almost immediately.”