A simple funeral brochure and service, without eulogy or tributes, other than melodious organ music at the outset, characterised the Funeral Eucharist in celebration of the life of the late Ruth Ann Lake of The Quarter.
The 91-year-old highly-respected churchwoman, died on July 4 and the funeral was held at St. Mary’s Anglican Parish Church in The Valley on Saturday, July 29. The officiating Clergy were the Rt. Rev. Errol Brooks (whose wife, Mrs. Rosena Brooks is the deceased’s stepdaughter) and Rev. Menes Hodge.
Mrs. Lake, who has been preceded in death by her husband, Mr. Amos Lake, was generally known as a stern disciplinarian but possessed such fine qualities as humility and faithfulness for which she is remembered.
Bishop Brooks referred to some of those qualities in his sermon. “One parishioner was heard to say: ‘another faithful member of the church has gone,’” he recalled. “That is an apt description of Ruth. When Ruth was mobile, she attended Sunday services, weekly services, Bible study and other educational sessions. She contributed to the support of the activities of the church and this she did not only when she was up and about, but also at a time when she could not attend worship.”
The Bishop continued: “Ruth cared deeply for the welfare of everyone and she was quite open about this. She was a trusted and loyal friend. When given a task, she was diligent in pursuing that task to the very end. She was a humble woman and I would like us to focus on this character trait – humility.”
After quoting two particular texts of Scripture, Bishop Brooks stated: “According to the Bible, there is something to be said about being humble. There is something noble; something sacred about being meek – and even though such attributes are out of style in today’s culture, the Scripture praises these qualities. Being humble does not mean being someone to be trodden on…Jesus was a strong man, a man of convictions who did not let others intimidate him – and Ruth was no push over either. She held to her convictions and she was not afraid to express those convictions. On several occasions she would hold fort…but in the midst of it all, Ruth was never boastful. She listened to and respected the views of others.”
Bishop Brooks took the opportunity to reflect on the service of other persons, in the church, like Ruth. “Thank God we have people in this church who work behind the scenes,” he went on. “They work in the Sunday School; they work with our children and youth; they count the collections and record them; they cut the grass; they sweep and mop the building; they arrange the flowers at the altar; they prepare the sanctuary for worship; and they are involved in fundraising. What if these people refuse to serve because they do not receive a commission? What if they refuse to serve because they do not see their names in neon lights? But they do not serve for recognition but because of a sense of commitment. These are humble people in the best sense of the word. That is the kind of humility that all of us need.”
He added: “As we celebrate the life and witness of our sister, Ruth Ann, we thank God for all the good He enabled her to accomplish in this world. We pray that God will grant her rest in His Eternal Kingdom.”
Ruth was a keen seeker of national information and a loyal supporter of The Anguillian newspaper, and regularly collected copies for herself and members of her family before it sold out at the Anguilla Drugstore. She kindly permitted the newspaper to erect a billboard on her property at Stoney Ground – a privilege that other business entities and individuals did not have.
She is survived by her sister, Mrs. Winifred Shillingford; her brothers Lincoln Rogers, John (Bob) Rogers and Selwyn Rogers and their families; stepchildren Rosena Brooks, Kathleen Rey, Gilbert Lake and Dana Ruan and their families; as well as many other close family members and friends.
