Cal Rayner made his mark as one of the top footballers of his generation.

Yesterday, Mr Rayner had another honour bestowed upon him when the carpenter’s shop at the Government Quarry in Bailey’s Bay was named after him.

The ceremony, on what would have been his 65th birthday and official retirement after 42 years as a carpenter with Government, was attended by about 200 former work colleagues and friends.

Emotions spilled over when the plaque was unveiled, reading: “Master Carpenter, Great Mentor, Good Foreman, Better Man!”

Michael Wellman, acting foreman since Mr Rayner’s passing in March, worked for 25 years with Mr Rayner and described him as a “true gentleman”.

“I think it is a very good thing to dedicate the shop to Calvin Rayner, after he put in this many years,” said Wellman.

“He was a gentleman and saw us through with everything he taught us. The turnout here is strong and positive and it shows how much he was cared about and loved. He taught us how to be team players and that’s why we have a nice bond in the shop. We talked about a lot of things over the 25 years that I will keep as memories.

“The week before he passed, he, myself and a few others were sitting around talking and there was no indication it was his last days. But I started to put some things together after he passed and some of the things he was telling me added up to me. Those things I will always cherish.”

Rayner died while playing in a St George’s All-Stars inter-club match on March 14 as team-mates Derek Wright and Maxwell Burgess, a fireman, tried unsuccessfully to revive him.

“I was playing on the opposite team and running behind him when he collapsed,” said Mr Wright. ‘I thought he had tripped but within a second or two I knew it was serious and signalled to Maxwell that it was serious. The referee stopped the match, Maxwell started the compressions and I started the breathing and after a minute or so he came back and his eyes were open.

“Then after a few more seconds he started to slip away again and this went on while we waited for the emergency service to arrive. Knowing the strength and determination that he had I was so sure he would pull through.

“All of this leaves a serious gap in my heart to know he’s gone, we did the best we could but I feel we didn’t do enough. He’s a big loss, both as a player and a man to his family, friends and the community.”

Daughter Tracey says the whole experience still seems surreal.

“It’s been very difficult coping, my father was all about family, everything was family and the Works and Engineering guys became a part of his family, too,” she said.

“He taught us many lessons and I said to my daughter [Tajae] that the only lesson he didn’t teach us was how to cope without him because we always thought daddy would be there. I can’t wrap my head around it yet.”

She said the family was “very humbled” by Government’s decision to erect the plaque as a tribute to a man who loved his job.

“They were his family as well and I know he mentored a lot of young men coming out of this shop.

“He was so looking forward to retiring and due to go on a retirement trip with my mom. He was ready to just chill.”

Sister Tanya and her son Sinclair Smith also have many fond memories of Mr Rayner. “My son and I were there [at the field] and got to spend the last minutes with him,” said his oldest daughter.

“I’m just glad he didn’t have any pain and was doing what he liked.

“It’s a big void in the family now and his grandson is stepping in and filling the void. He and my son always talked about sports.”

Mr Smith, a talented cricketer who plays for Bailey’s Bay, addressed the gathering on behalf of the family. “This was a good show of solidarity,” he said afterwards.

“The family definitely appreciates this and to have a Government building named after you and not be an MP is a big thing.

“He was my right hand man and though he never played cricket he was always there to help me do better. I know deep down he’s looking over us, he touched a lot of people. I couldn’t have asked for a better grandfather.”

Lovitta Foggo was there, not so much in her capacity as an MP but as a fellow St Georgian and family friend. “Since there were so many St Georgians out, it speaks to how much he was loved in his community,” Ms Foggo said.

“The family is overwhelmed by the thank you given them by Public Works to honour his years of service. I hope every man who steps into that workshop will honour him by giving that same level of service. It’s unfortunate he couldn’t be here on his day of retirement to be a part of this.

“I’m here as a St Georgian and a friend and I was one of the flower girls in Essie and Calvin’s wedding so they are close friends.”

Mrs Rayner, who would have been married 47 years in August, said: “I would like to thank those at the Quarry for this special dedication, it means so much to me. Calvin’s heart and soul was his workshop, he took great pride in everything that went out of there for the different Government buildings.”

Mr Rayner was a diehard Tottenham fan and his wife had made plans to take him to see his first live match at White Hart Lane in May.

“He knew about it because he had to put in for vacation and we were due to leave on May 14,” she explained.

“One of my retired bosses had offered us his penthouse in London and another executive had gotten us tickets for Tottenham [versus Hull City) on May 16.

“That would have been his first live Tottenham game. He was a diehard Tottenham fan, when they came on TV he would sit with his cap, his jacket, his Tottenham mug and his scarf. And he always hung the flag out in the yard whenever they played ... win, lose or draw.”