Flowers, tears for ‘Beulah’

The popular actress, dramatist, writer and retired teacher died on a heart attack on Monday at the Chaguanas Health Centre. At the funeral, her younger sister, Lyn Thomas, held a bouquet containing the simple buttercup and hibiscus flowers for King in a touching gesture. She told the audience, when King was a child she had a habit of picking flowers and making it into bouquets.

“She would then seek out any home where someone was ill or where someone had died and she would present the flowers to the people living in that home,” Thomas said. “She would do so with her famous broad smile,” she said, adding that this act irritated her and her other siblings.

“We spoke among ourselves saying she was fast and pushy to knock on people’s door.” However, when people thanked King and they showed how much they appreciated the flowers, Lyn and her sisters had to “shut up”.

Yesterday it was Lyn’s turn to pick the simple flowers and present a bouquet to King. Lyn also said she grew up in Longdenville with her sisters Shirley, Anesta, Philma, Mavis, Patrice and Germaine.

“We grew up in the days when there were no cars in sight. There were only donkey carts and bull carts to transport people.” As Lyn was about to talk about King’s contribution to their home back in the sixties, she started crying uncontrollably and was helped to her seat by her other sisters.

Members of the popular drama group, “The Strolling Players” wore blue shirts and lined the aisle of the church where King’s coffin when wheeled in. Popular comedian, Tommy Joseph, was present at the funeral. While he did not address the congregation, he spoke to reporters saying King helped generations of comedians and actors in TT.

“She had a unique way in which she would correct the younger performers. She would make it into a joke but she was seriously trying to help them become better performers,” he said. Joseph was one of the performers, King corrected from time to time. Remembering her words, Joseph said she would walk up to him and say, “Tommy I feel you should try to imitate the voice of the people you talking about.” Joseph also said that on All Saints Day he saw so many people cleaning up cemeteries and lighting candles, but he wondered how many of these people look for those who are alive and need love and attention. Fellow comedian, Michael Gonzales aka Dr Choonkieting, said he has been working alongside King since 1979. “We wrote scripts together for many of her skits on stage and television,” he said, adding that King made her fellow actors feel like family. He emphasised that she was extremely kind and many people mistook her kindness for weakness. He said in her last days she was crying out for help and not many were there for her.

The funeral service was officiated by RC priest Father Derek Anton.

In her final days, King was staying at a home for the aged in St Augustine since her home was destroyed by fire in November. King, bade farewell to her husband Melville King, who died just ten days before her passing. King was the mother of three - Darryl, Richardo and Nekeisha. Known for her melodious voice, King was the lead singer at the St Augustine RC Church. She was also a member of the Catholic Youth Organisation (CYO) in TT.