Moruga mourns its beloved ‘Uncle Boy’

Moruga has lost one of its most well-known sons, 76-year-old Cornelius Morales, who died recently of cancer.

Morales, fondly called Uncle Boy, Mister Boy and Goodnight, from Santa Maria Village, was a well-known witty lay minister of the St Vincent Ferrer RC Church in Gran Chemin and an avid sportsman.

The devout Catholic died on July 23, after battling cancer for the past five years.

His funeral took place at the church at Gran Chemin on July 29.

Fr Puliyammakkal Santosh officiated and encouraged mourners to live as Morales lived.

"He did everything for the Lord. Dead or alive, Brother Morales belonged to the Lord. Let us live like Morales who lived and worked for Christ," Santosh said.

He remembered Morales’s love for singing lustily in church.

Andy Morales referred to his uncle as a sportsman, a great man, a mentor, and a superhero.

"He was a man full of courage, self-worth, and determination. He taught all his nephews and nieces that they could achieve anything they set their minds to. He was a perfectionist in everything that he did," Andy said.

"He taught us how to fix the cricket pitch. He made sure we were good footballers and good cricketers. He always encouraged people to give their lives to God or have some sort of connection."

Over the years, Morales was often seen beautifying the Penal Rock Road recreation ground at Herrera Trace, a few houses away from his home.

At the Santa Maria RC school, he often cut the grass and help clean the compound free of charge. He held service at the school together with the late Maggie "Teacher Maggie" Sookdeo, a retired principal.

Morales, a household name in the community, was also known to be punctual.

"Aspire to be a man like he was. He played any position in the football fields and was as good with the bat on the cricket fields. To the end, he never lost faith in Christ," Sandy said.

Mourner Donna Neaves-Huggins said Morales was a father to each child in the village.

"I know him to be very disciplined. He is in the arms of Jesus. He would correct you if you are wrong whether you like it or not," Neaves-Huggins said before she paid tributes to him in song.

Choir member Richard Lake also paid tribute to Morales in a song titled, Four Days Late.

Owing to the pandemic, many people were unable to attend the funeral.

Via an audio recording, deacon Tristram Mathura remembered Morales as a "remarkable servant" of the Lord.

"I enjoyed his laughter, his intelligence, his wisdom and spirituality. God has reserved a place for him in his kingdom," Mathura said.

To the late Morales, Mathura said: "In this Olympic season, I have witnessed that you have run a great race, and I salute you. Your God is waiting to reward you."

Many people have been offering condolences on social media to his wife Angela and the rest of the Morales family.

Morales was the third person to have died within the past few months.

His sister Marcelina, 72, also called Melcy and Moi, died on July 5. Her son Everest also called Pitche, 47, Morales died three months earlier, in May.