Soca artiste Shurwayne Winchester bade a tearful farewell to his parents' Codrington and Linda Winchester at their joint funeral on March 6.
He, along with his brother and daughter, remembered the couple as loving, disciplined and resilient.
The Santa Rosa RC Church in Arima was packed with family and friends who gave the pair a fond farewell less than two weeks after they died hours apart on February 22-23.
Winchester wept several times during his tribute as he spoke about the family's humble beginnings, describing some of the experiences he had growing up.
“They were a couple full of pride. There was a time where it was so hard that our electricity got cut, water removed and we went in the back of the house and Derrick would hold and bend a galvanised sheet to block the wind from a three-stone fire so mum and they could cook for us.
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“And while they were cooking, mum and them would put us on the step and she would say, 'No-one is supposed to know what y’all are going through. When you go out there, go out with a smile on your face.'
"When the bake was finished, it was the tastiest bake we ever had.”
He said his father did every job possible to put an honest meal on the table.
“When they retrenched our father, we were looking out for the car and we saw Dad walking coming up the road.
"When he got close he dipped his hand in his pocket and he took out a rock cake, he broke it and he gave Derrick piece, he gave Lyndon and me a piece and then he walked inside and he gave mummy and he watched us eat it and pretended to swallow so we could eat.
“Meanwhile, none of our other family members knew.
"Nobody knew, and it’s all because, 'You all are young men, you have to have pride. One day you will grow up and you will have to understand what it means to be a man.'
"Daddy Winchester is the image of perseverance.”
He sang a calypso he attributed to his brother Lyndon, who joined him.
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“The world is grieving/ Please Mummy inform Daddy/ The whole universe gone crazy grieving…
“I’m the happiest child today/ To be a son of the soil of T and T/ A nation that God bless in every way/ Two lands divided by water and yet united as one.”
Winchester then sang Carla Thomas’ Gee Whiz It’s Christmas, which he said was his mother's favourite. He was supported by members of the audience when he broke down.
Winchester’s brother Derrick said when he looked at love, he looked at his mother and father.
“Daddy was the foot, Mummy was the shoes.
"Daddy was the pants, Mummy was the belt to hold the pants together.
"They were like Bim and Bam. I remember, getting married, my wife Alex and I moved upstairs and we had an argument where I raised my voice.
"Three minutes later, my mum came to the door, 'Derrick I want to talk to you. You ever hear for all the years me and your father together, you ever hear your father raise his voice?'
He said when he told his mother no, she replied, "Listen, do your utmost best as a man, don’t raise your voice. Be patient.”
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He said his mother urged him to be more like his father.
Winchester’s brother Lyndon said their parents' love, values and unwavering commitment to family have left an indelible mark on them. He said his father embodied two core values: respect for self and others and resilience without limit.
“He was a man of many talents, willing to do whatever was necessary to provide for his family. Name the job and he either did it or could have done it.
"From radio and television repair, hotel maintenance, metal fabricating, calypso songwriting, boxing coaching, painting, ice-cream and cotton candy sales to being a soldier and even once attempting to become a police officer. But his true calling was labour relations where he became a respected consultant advocating tirelessly for the rights of many. Dad, thank you for showing us the way.”
He said their mother Linda was a woman of boldness, love and generosity.
“Mum lived by values of faith, humility and kindness. She taught us to pray, work and never envy others. She believed in quiet generosities.
"She ensured that even if we had little, it would be shared with those in need, even if it meant going without ourselves. She was a pillar of strength and sacrifice standing beside our father through every hardship.
"Together they demonstrated that they truly meant to love and serve their family with all their hearts.”
Winchester’s daughter shared cherished memories of her grandparents. She said her grandfather Codrington supported her in everything she did, from school activities to business ventures when she was an adult. She said her grandmother Linda was always present and described her as warm, kind, a playmate, and a safe place.
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