Tearful send-off for business tycoon Helen Bhagwansingh

Hundreds of close friends, family and well-wishers said goodbye to business tycoon Dr Helen Bhagwansingh at her funeral on Sunday.

Unable to be accommodated inside the Aramalaya Presbyterian church in Tunapuna, scores viewed the service on televisions placed in tents outside.

If the love felt for Helen was not evident by the large turnout, it certainly was felt in the screams of anguish that pierced through Vanessa Briggs' rendition of "Wind Beneath My Wings."

Quoting from William Shakespear's Richard II, during his sermon, Reverend Daniel Teelucksingh asked congregants to contemplate on the reputation they would leave behind when their time comes, saying a spotless reputation is accessible to everyone, regardless of their economic status and can be passed on for generations.

"The purest treasure mortal times afford is spotless reputation," he said.

"All the treasures that we own in this life, the purest treasure we can go after is spotless reputation and elsewhere in a book which we know better he said the immediate jewel of my soul is good name...are we working towards that?"

For Bhagwansingh's granddaughters, her reputation was more than her countless accomplishments and business successes. For Ariana Bhagwansingh, who delivered the eulogy, her grandmother was also an avid philanthropist.

"She was a major patron of the Helen Bhagwansingh Diabetes Educational Research and Prevention Institute headed by professor Suruj Teelucksingh which today affords every pregnant woman in Trinidad diabetic support and counselling," she said.

She said her grandmother also led the charge to get soft drinks banned in primary schools for their role in contributing to diabetes, a condition she also suffered from. She said her grandmother would also provide support in times of disaster, whether locally or regionally.

"She always contributed to flood relief with open budgets. She sent a container of food to St Vincent and the Grenadines after the La Soufriere volcano erupted. She also sent relief support to Dominica in coordination with the Red Cross after Hurricane Maria devastated the island.

"Mama was also a major contributor to the state in supporting the Ministry of Social Development during the covid19 pandemic," she said. Often called "Queen B,'' Ariana recalled a conversation with her grandmother where she compared her to Queen Elizabeth II.

"I said there is a saying (that) uneasy rests the head that wears the crown, and you have a crown on your head that is invisible and I know it weighs on you because she told me many times that with success comes a lot of stress and you have to have a strong backbone to deal with it," she said.

Now, she said, that burden is no longer there and she hopes her grandmother is reunited with loved ones in heaven and continues looking after those on earth.

"Mama, that crown has now been lifted from your head. You have floated up and you have gone home. You are with papa-ji. You are with your siblings and I pray that you watch over the eight of us (grandchildren), your three great-grandchildren and all the great-grandchildren to follow." Daniella Bhagwansingh-Lee also recalled her grandmother's love for animals, plants, friends and her grandchildren.

"Our grandmother was a truly devoted and family-oriented woman. She made it known just how much she loved her grandchildren- her golden babes. Always going above and beyond to ensure that our needs were met to the highest standard. Even though Mama carried the weight of the world on her shoulders, she gave us the best childhood we could have asked for," she said.

Bhagwansingh's eldest daughter, Susan Bhagwansingh, thanked all of her mother's staff who she said were loved like family. She also thanked her personal nurse who took care of her until the end.

Bhagwansingh died on October 30, almost three weeks after celebrating her 83rd birthday. She was later cremated at the Waterloo Cremation Site.