The final chapter in the life of Linda Lake, the Anguillian teacher and cultural enthusiast, was written when she was laid to rest at the Sandy Ground Cemetery, following a Thanksgiving Service at the Church of God (Holiness) on Saturday, January 5.
A large number of mourners, drawn from all walks of life in Anguilla, paid their last respects to her not just by attending the funeral, but in a series of glowing tributes before and during the service.
One of the tributes was delivered by Mrs. Chanelle Petty-Barrett, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Development with responsibility for the Department of Youth and Culture, where Linda served as Deputy Director. It was the last post she held in the Anguilla Civil Service, having previously worked as a Primary and Secondary School Teacher and as a staff member at the Public Library.
The text of Mrs Petty -Barrett’s tribute was as follows:
“I cannot count the number of speeches that I have made at various ceremonies and events, but I can honestly say that speaking here today is one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. It is hard to speak about someone on occasions such as these when you have not yet come to terms with the fact that the person is no longer with us. It is even more difficult when the person of whom you speak was full of vitality as Linda was.
“Having known of Linda previously, I came to know her more closely about four and a half years ago when I was appointed as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Development with responsibility for Youth and Culture. Oncoming into contact with Linda, I immediately noticed her warm smile, hearty laugh and vivacious personality. Linda was not a halfway person. What I mean by this is that she was very passionate. If she liked something she was passionate about it, and if she disliked something she was equally passionate about her dislike. I believe one of the qualities that really endeared me to her was the fact that she always spoke her mind openly. There was nothing pretentious about her. You always knew where she stood on any issue. She was never shy about voicing her opinions. I believe this is a good thing as it ensured that whatever issues were being discussed were properly ventilated and debated.
“One of the most vivid memories I have of her is back in June of 2012 when we had two one-day retreats in the Department of Youth and Culture’s conference room to draft the Culture Policy for Anguilla, having completed a series of public forums. We had some serious debates around that table as we were intent on completing the draft document. We snacked on crackers, cookies, grapes and peanuts. We joked, we argued, we wrangled, we critiqued. Linda was at her best. Sometimes when we believed we had settled on a particular point and moved on, she would bring us back to it, still arguing her point and sometimes she prevailed.
“Linda was passionate about Anguilla’s culture and was determined to do her part to ensure that local traditions were passed on from one generation to another. We could always depend on her to share with us, in her usual animated way, her knowledge of Anguilla’s heritage either garnered through her own personal experiences, her interactions with older persons or her own research. She was really an excellent resource person in this area and her contributions will be greatly missed.
“Linda’s death has certainly left a void in the Ministry of Social Development. Sometimes an unexpected passing such as hers really causes you to stop and reflect on life and death. It was interesting that, last Saturday, I was in the kitchen and my eight-year-old son came up to me (without any prior conversation about this) and said: “Mommy, I think I know why people die”. I was completely taken aback and I asked whydo they die? His response was “so someone else can finish the journey.” He then went on to enlighten me by saying “and then they die and someone else carries on, and on and on it goes. That’s probably why they call it the life cycle. Am I right Mommy?” His totally flabbergasted mother could only say: “I never thought about it like that, but what you said makes a lot of sense.”
“As I pondered on these insightful words from one so young, I began to think that Linda has completed her part of the journey. She has done her part in fulfilling God’s purpose not only for her life, but his overall purpose for this world. When you think about it, in a sense, life is like a relay race and death signifies the passing of the baton from one generation to the next. To use the words found in second Timothy 4:7, Linda fought the good fight, she finished the race, she kept the faith.
“On behalf of the Ministry of Social Development, the Culture Policy Development Committee and my own family, I extend heartfelt condolences to Linda’s family, especially her two sons of whom I know she was extremely proud. I remind all of us that although we will miss Linda dearly, as believers in Christ, we ought not to weep like those who have no hope because we believe in a resurrected Christ, and we are assured that to be absent from the body is to be present with God. May her soul rest peacefully in God’s presence.”
Chief Education Officer, Mrs. Rhonda Connor, spoke about Linda’straining and contribution in the civil service. She began teaching at the Island Harbour Primary School in September 1980. One year later, she was transferred to the Stoney Ground Primary School where she spent two years. She was awarded a scholarship to attend the St. Kitts-Nevis Teacher Training College in September 1984 and successfully completed her studies in July 1986. Teacher Linda was employed at the Road Primary School where she spent one year before being transferred to the West End Primary School. She was praised by the Principals and Teachers as a hard and dedicated worker.
Mrs Connor described Linda as having been a very determined person who ensured that her views were heard and that she was very frank when she thought her rights were violated. The Chief Education Officer stated that Linda had set a number of goals for herself and was committed to achieving them. One was to be a graduate teacher. Accordingly, she was granted a scholarship in 1990 to pursue studies in Special Education, an area in which she worked very passionately.
Linda studied at the Moray House Institute of Education in Edinburgh, Scotland. She successfully completed her Bachelor of Education degree with First Class Honours. On her return to Anguilla, she was transferred to the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School. After teaching there for five years, she applied for a transfer and on October 20, 1997, she was appointed Library Assistant at the Public Library.
“Teacher Linda, Ms Lake, has been a positive impact on the lives of her many students and for that she will be remembered,” Mrs. Connor concluded. “On behalf of the Department of Education, I bring condolence to her family and to all those who were close to her. I pray that God’s grace will continue to strengthen you. Be comforted in the knowledge that Linda served us well. May God continue to bless all of us especially at this difficult time, and may her soul rest in peace.”
A short tribute was delivered by Wayne Adams, Director of Youth and Culture: “I had the opportunity to speak with ‘Teach’ at length only a few weeks before her rapid deterioration began…She was confident in her Christian walk and recognised that she was improving day by day. Physically, she knew something was wrong, but she could never put it into words…
“Mentally, she was weary. She often spoke about taking a sabbatical. She wanted to spend time with Clint and especially with Kleonn [her sons]. Professionally, she dreamt of the next phase in her career. She talked about moving on from the Department of Youth and Culture. She said she would have liked to write for The Anguillian newspaper, perhaps, and develop a unique cultural project of her own, apart from the Department; and she was thinking along the lines of a national jollification.
“Socially, having two boys, like myself, she was very upset, and had grown very concerned about gun-related violence in Anguilla, and…how enormous the task was for the Department and the Ministry…”
The eulogy was delivered by Linda’s brother, Christopher James, a Deacon in the Resurrected Life Evangelical Church in the United States. His presentation covered most or all of what the Chief Education said about his sister’s professional life. He took the opportunity to inject various statements reflective of the family life and love she enjoyed, and to comment onher personal traits as a strong and determined young woman, and a lover of Anguillian culture.
Mr. James hoped that somebody “would pick up the mantle of dedication, perseverance and love for country” she carried. He ended: “Linda, we love you dearly. May your soul rest in perpetual peace…..”
Among the others who paid tribute to Linda, were members of the Choir of the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School; Unity Singers of the Christian Fellowship Church; the Gathering Prayer Group, led by Warren Clarke, in which Linda was an active participant; and the Mayoumba Folkloric Theatre group of which she was also a member.
The conducting of the Service of Thanksgiving was jointly shared by Pastor Philip Gumbs of the Church of God Holiness, where it was held, and Pastor James Harrigan of the No Walls Church.
