Sunset funeral for Kelshall

The funeral of Lt Commander Gaylord Kelshall, military historian and founder of the Chaguaramas Military and Aviation Museum, will be held at 6 pm this evening at the museum.

But up to late yesterday no decision was made on whether he will be privately buried at Lapeyrouse Cemetery at 10 am tomorrow or cremated at the Cinerary on Long Circular Road in St James. Kelshall passed away last Sunday at 77.

His widow Linda, co-founder of the museum, expressed the wish to have a full military funeral, for her husband to be laid to rest at the Military Cemetery on Long Circular Road and for the regiment band to play at the service. However, that would have meant Chief of Defence Staff Commodore Hayden Pritchard going against rules and regulations of the service.

Nevertheless, Kelshall’s widow is happy her husband would actually have a quasi-military funeral, in that his coffin will be draped with the Coast Guard Ensign and be borne by military pallbearers and the Last Post played on the bugle by a member of the military band. In addition, since he was a retired Coast Guard pilot, there will be a fly-by before the start of the funeral.

Asked about the unusual hour of the service, Linda Kelshall said the time would facilitate the lighting up of the castles and the raising of the drawbridge, the latest additions to the museum. Vice president of the museum Brian Mitchell gave some details of the funeral, which will be officiated by Fr Ayee. He said Kelshall’s brother Admiral Richard Kelshall will give the eulogy, followed by readings by Kelshall’s daughter Guenevere and stepson Angelo Ali, and later, poems will be read by Brent and Candice Kelshall. Kelshall’s niece, well known local entertainer Tricia Lee Kelshall, will sing Wind Beneath My Wings and before that, Marlene Ghany will sing Abide With Me.