‘Happy Mother’s Day, rest in peace mom’

Ramdeen’s daughters Anna, Dana, Melani and son Vishnu wept as they held each other near Ramdeen’s coffin.

The cries of Ramdeen’s grandchildren also echoed throughout the service at the house of mourning in Bristol Village, Mayaro.

“We just want to wish you a ‘Happy Mother’s Day ma, you were the best mom in the world...may you rest in peace,” Anna said. Ramdeen, a mother of five and grandmother of seven had her throat slit by her 73-year-old estranged companion Andrew Vasquez last week Wednesday. After murdering the woman, Vasquez committed suicide by deliberately driving his Nissan B15 car into an oncoming Jusamco truck which was proceeding in the opposite direction along the Naparima/Mayaro Road in Union Village, Mayaro.

Vasquez who was unconscious in the mangled wreck of his car, was taken to the Mayaro District Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Ramdeen, a single mother and Vasquez shared a tempestuous, on-again/off-again relationship that spanned 17 years.

Ramdeen worked as a foreman with the Forestry Division at Mafeking Village. Vasquez was a pensioner.

Delivering the eulogy yesterday, Ramdeen’s neighbour Agnes Mansook said she was a mother figure to many children in the village.

Mansook said Ramdeen she did not deserve such a death. Ramdeen, she said, loved her children unconditionally and one of her greatest dreams was for her children to be happy.

Mansook said that when anyone asked Ramdeen for help with anything she would never say ‘no’.

“She was very hard working and would give her last if she figured you needed it more. She loved her children dearly,” Mansook said.

Ramdeen was everyone’s mother in the village, the neighbour insisted.

A friend said he remembered the mother of five as a fighter adding that it was hard that she then was given a chance to fight for her life.

Officiating at the service pastor Paul Melvin Alexander said, the Devil entered Ramdeen’s home to do his work.

“You are not protected until you have the protection of Jesus. Look at what the devil did here, he entered her (Ramdeen) home,” Alexander told mourners. He added that they should always be prepared because no one knows when death would arrive.

“Hell is real and Heaven is real regardless of what we say and believe and you must always be prepared,” the pastor said. Pink and red roses were placed in the coffin.

Ramdeen was cremated at the Mafeking cremation site.