Family wants post stamp for 100-year-old mom

THE family of Trunilia Santana who becomes a centenarian on Sunday would like the government to celebrate her long life with a postage stamp.

Keith Santana, a police officer who left the service and migrated to the United States with his wife, Maria, also an ex-cop, along with his family, said he would love to see his mother’s face on a postage stamp.

Santana who returned to Trinidad to celebrate his mother’s 100 birthday on Sunday, said he got the idea from friends in Barbados.

Two years ago, the Barbados Postal Service found a creative way to honour some of its citizens who have lived for 100 years and more with a collection of 27 stamps titled, Centenarians of Barbados.

The limited edition stamps featured portraits of the men and women, including some "super and semi-super centenarians" who lived between 105 and 110 years or older.

“Somebody in Barbados sent me some information about people being honoured upon achieving a century and as my mother is turning 100, I thought I would put it out there to see if that can happen in TT as well.”

Public Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte, who has responsibility for the TT Postal Service, said he had never had such a request and did not know what the procedure was to have a postage stamp issued for a person turning 100.

He said to his knowledge something like this would be reserved for special occasions recalling stamps being issued for TT’s first Miss Universe Janelle Penny Commissiong-Chow, and Miss World Giselle La Ronde-West.

“I honestly don’t know the procedure, but the family can write to the CEO of the postal services, Richard Saunders or the chairman who would be more au courant with it and they could copy me in the correspondence. We would look at the request to see if it is possible or not and I would make sure that the person gets and appropriate response,” Le Hunte promised.

Santana said his mother, nee Edwards, who was born in Moruga, has outlived her husband, Joseph Santana, who died some 35 years ago and most of her siblings. He said his parents had eight children, including him, their fifth child, and had second, third and fourth generations of Santanas too numerous to count.

He said the family’s matriarch never worked but she is the glue that held the family together.

“She has been the rock in our family. At her age, her mind is still sharp, she has lost some mobility and requires some assistance to walk, her sight is not what it used to be, but at 100 she has no major ailments."

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"Family wants post stamp for 100-year-old mom"

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