FORMER HOCKEY STAR FUNERAL TODAY

NONA AIRD, who died on Tuesday was one of Trinidad and Tobago’s top hockey goalkeepers in the 1950s. A keen sportswoman she also played netball, and lawn tennis while at Holy Name Convent and later turned to basketball which was then growing in popularity. Nona, from the well known Boisselle family of Belmont was working at Grell and Company when the young girls there formed a hockey club called Grells. The members included Veda Horsford, Joyce, Jean and Paddy Fernandez, also of Belmont and Rita Forde.

Their coach was another Belmont guy, Harold Mc Intyre and also Hypolite Sosa. Sooner than they could imagine, Grells were being noticed by the hockey fraternity. They were good. They pitted their talents against already well established teams such as Wanderers, Ventures and Casuals. Nona was the goalkeeper for Grells and approached the task with discipline and determination developing great skill and reading all she could about the game. In 1950 Grells finished third in the league. Nona was selected to represent North against South in the annual match. Eventually Grells changed their name to Rockets and won the Landy de Montbrun Trophy as knockout winners in the 1950 season. Nona became so developed in the game that she was invited to trials for the Trinidad and Tobago team against Guyana. In 1955 Nona joined Blue Streaks and with her in goal, not only were they on their way to taking over the championship, but Nona was in demand as a national player.

Nona married Howard Aird who also played hockey for Notre Dame. They started a family which grew over the years to three daughters and three sons who gave Howard and herself 22 grandchildren. She worked as a secretary before opening her own secretarial school, St Mary’s Secretarial College which occupied a large old fashioned house on Oxford Street from whose doors emerged many of the country’s best trained secretaries. Hockey was her great sport and she formed a team of her students, St Mary’s, eventually having the great pleasure of seeing one of her students Feola Solano become a national goalkeeper. After her playing days were over, she continued to serve the game in many roles. It was only in August last year that she was diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas and the end came quickly. Today she will be cremated following a funeral service at St Patrick’s Church, Newtown.