The passing of Ms Linda Lake, 49, on Wednesday morning, December 26, in Puerto Rico, where she had been receiving medical attention, has been widely felt in Anguilla.
She served as a School Teacher for many years before taking up an appointment at the Public Library. She later moved to the Department of Youth and Culture where she held the post of Deputy Director until her sad passing this week.
Linda has been an active contributor to the preservation and promotion of the cultural history of Anguilla. In that capacity, she delivered several presentations on the island and was engaged in a number of socio-economic and cultural activities.
One of her most notable papers was presented at a top-level Multi-disciplinary Country Conference held on the island in April 2011. That conference focused on issues relating to Anguilla and was organised by the Open Campus of the University of the West Indies. Among other matters, she used the occasion to examine the island’s cultural traditions and links to the development of an Anguillian identity. Back in 2001, she coordinated a Cultural Education Festival which highlighted the island’s diverse culture and history.
Her placement at the Department of Youth and Culture in the Anguilla Public Service provided her with varied opportunities to work towards creating a greater awareness among young people about the cultural life of the island.It may have been her most enjoyable stint of work.
One of her best-loved cultural references about Anguilla was the “jollification”. For the most part, this was a period of collaborative farming, cooking, music, and dancing, that stands out in the anthropology of traditional Anguillian life.
She was a familiar photographer at various cultural and social functions on the island, and may have amassed an enviable collection of hundreds of historic images more than anyone else.
Linda possessed a strong, yet gentle, personality. She loved life and laughter, and clearly demonstrated it in her daily life. She endeared herself to many in Anguilla, and will be greatly missed by all knew and interacted with her. She was a truly wonderful person.
The Anguillian offers its condolences to her bereaved family. May she rest in peace.
