Luces's legacy will never be forgotten

LYNETTE "Granny" Luces was fondly remembered by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren during the funeral service of the beloved long-distance runner at the Mt D'Or Seventh Adventist Church, on Thursday.

Luces, an avid long-distance TT runner, was 93. Luces, who suffered a stroke in October, died at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex on February 18.

Luces is popularly known for participating and completing long-distance races throughout TT and the world. Luces got involved in the sport in her mid-fifties, making her marathon debut in 1984. Luces received the Hummingbird Medal Gold in 2013.

Luces, a mother of 11, received tributes from many during the service including her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In the eulogy, her granddaughter Abbinah Donatien and great-granddaughter Ashakie Hagley took everyone through Luces's life, including the early days where she would run quickly to the nearby shop to buy items for her mother.

Hagley and Donatien remembered her spirituality and the value she put on education. They spoke about her love for young people and also urged them to be obedient and to participate in positive activities. Luces's grandchildren also remembered the calypso performed by De Alberto that paid tribute to the long-distance runner. The lyrics include, “I fraid Granny, I fraid Granny, I fraid Granny pass me on the highway.”

The song continues, “Granny Luces, Granny Luces, Granny Luces is the best.”

The memories did not end there as her grandchildren Juliana Legaire and Sheldon Lucess also spoke. Legaire said her grandmother was vibrant, a woman of the people and added that her "great legacy will never be forgotten."

Sheldon spoke about the discipline his grandmother taught him and how she always cared for her family.