The thanksgiving service for the life of the late Janice Eulalia Connor, affectionately known as Teacher Janice, was held on Saturday morning, January 15, 2022, at the Church of God (Holiness). She had suddenly departed this life through a tragic car accident, in Shoal Bay, last month.
Born on June 27, 1956, Teacher Janice was quite keen in acquiring sound academic knowledge throughout her childhood years, and turned out to be a renowned educator who taught at several primary schools on the island. She had a deep love for teaching which was second nature to her vibrant personality. Teacher Janice made a lasting impact on the life of each student whom she touched. Besides, she was a devout Christian who was ever so cheerful, and one who took the principles of her faith seriously.
The funeral service last Saturday morning, therefore, was one of joyous hope with the assurance that she would hear her saviour’s voice saying, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”
The service was officiated by her pastors, Dwayne Adams, and Cecil Richardson. They were accompanied by Pastor John Gumbs who offered the opening prayer. The opening congregational song, “How Great Thou Art” was then lustily sung, followed by the playing ,on the steel pan, of a couple comforting hymns by Michael “Dumpa” Martin.
Pastor Cecil Richardson, a longstanding, highly respected minister of relision and Pastor of Outreach Baptist Church, delivered Words of Comfort. He referred to that familiar passage of consolation in Psalm 30:5 which states, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” He then focused on yet another scripture verse, saying: “In Psalm 27, the scripture promises, ‘In the time of trouble God will hide me in his pavilion; in the secret of His tabernacle. He shall hide me, and He shall set me up upon a rock.’”
Pastor Cecil continued: “In 1 Thessalonians 4, the scripture also comforts us by letting us know that we are not to grieve as those who have no hope. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, when He calls for us through the way of death, those who die in Jesus Christ will also rise to be with God. Today, Jesus gives us the assurance that we shall meet Sister Janice once again.”
He stressed the abhorrent characteristic of death, saying: “The death of our loved ones is never welcomed. No matter how often we may experience it in our families, it is never something that we would be comfortable with. It sneaks up on the ones we love and takes them away in a moment when we would least expect it. And that is why it is so important for us to be prepared, for we don’t know what day, what hour, how, or when we would be called upon to leave here.
“Once again, in Isaiah 66:13, the scripture consoles us by saying: ‘As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.’ So God will comfort you…When the scripture talks about comforting, it means that God comes along beside us, and He helps us to endure our grief. So family members, be comforted in knowing that God will comfort your hearts during this your time of bereavement. It’s ok to grieve; it’s ok to cry; it’s ok to feel lonely, but God will comfort you.”
After the singing of the song “Still” by Shorna Fleming, a couple scripture readings, the presentation of the Formal Remembrance followed. Janice’s siblings then sang quite a befitting song of consolation entitled, “Christians Never Say Goodbye’. A portion of the lyrics sung by her brother, John, goes: “She’s gone to live in Heaven a life free of pain, Her suffering now is ended, Our loss will be her gain…Christians never say goodbye, We only move to our home on high, Free from pain and never die, With Jesus we will reign. A wife may lose her husband, Or a mother lose her child, Whatever the case we all can say, Christians never say goodbye”.
The sermon was preached by Pastor Dwayne Adams of Central Baptist Church. Prior to his message, he made mention of the fact that Janice warmed the hearts of all with whom she came into contact. “She was one of my teachers at the Hilltop Baptist Church,” he recalls, “and, more recently, at the Central Baptist Church, she and her husband, Brother Charlie, were a great encouragement to me. She always wore a smile, and she supported me with her prayers.”
One scripture which Pastor Adams used to portray the spirit of Tr. Janice was Ephesians 4:32: “Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted forgiving one another.” He said that her aptitudes of kindness, and the ability to forgive, were two of her most outstanding characteristics as a good Christian. “Down to her very last day,” the preacher said, “Janice was kind and loving.”
He continued: “In line with such qualities, then, she was gentle and always thought of others before herself. Naturally, that is not so easy to do in this harsh world which we live in – because when the fire of life gets too hot, there is that temptation to change from what God commands us to be. Instead of being kind, at times we are tempted to harden our hearts. But God requires us to be tender-hearted. And that was Janice.” In retrospect, the Pastor alluded to her daughter’s pronouncement at the viewing of her body the night before, when she said that she thought “forgiveness” was one of her mother’s greatest qualities.
The singing of “When we all get to Heaven” signalled the closing of the service, as the casket was wheeled out of the sanctuary with the remains of a legend — an unsung gentle heroine who faced the challenges of life with a song and the pressures of adversity with a smile.
Interment was at the Sandy Ground Cemetery.
The Anguillian wishes to extend condolences to Teacher Janice’s bereaved family and friends, and to all those who are left to mourn her sudden loss. May her soul rest in peace.
