‘Cynthia, could have lived forever’

THE EULOGY was delivered at the Holy Mass in celebration and thanksgiving for the life of Cynthia Beryl MacFarlane-Seegobin, at the Church of The Nativity, Crystal Stream, where Fr Gregory Augustine was celebrant. Born in Plymouth, Tobago on February 21, 1936, the sixth child and fifth daughter of Beryl and the late Garnet MacFarlane, Cynthia’s early childhood was spent in Tobago.

The family eventually settled in Tunapuna where Cynthia attended the local Roman Catholic primary school, then St Joseph’s Convent, Port-of-Spain.

She met her future husband, Lancelot Seegobin during a blind, double-date in 1956–they have been married for 50 years on November 10 this year. The union produced five children, Leslie Ann, Karen, Randy, Nigel and Peter, and seven grandchildren. The family settled on Rockdale Road in Blue Range, Diego Martin.

In her eulogy Shepherd recalled: “We loved visiting our Auntie Cynthia . . . she enjoyed the energy and light of children. As we grew older, the house on Rockdale Road, and the porch in particular, was a haven for many a teenager nursing a bad case of tabanca, or the ‘my-parents-just-don’t-understand-me-blues’.”

After leaving school Cynthia taught briefly at St Joseph’s RC School, worked as a typist at Thomas & Sons, then at the library at the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture (ICTA), now the University of the West Indies (UWI). However, it was for her work at the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce that she will be remembered best. As a Licensing Officer in the Industry Department at IDC, Cynthia was responsible for providing fiscal incentives for new investment in manufacturing. Many a business crisis was averted because she understood the urgent needs of local manufacturers and cut through excessive red tape. The department was eventually transferred to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, where Cynthia was well respected by clients and co-workers alike, and was a mother-figure and friend to many. In 1997, Cynthia retired as a Trade Officer III.

After her retirement, you could drop by on any afternoon and Cynthia would treat you to English-style tea and stimulating conversation.

She enjoyed solving the daily crossword, read voraciously and gave free rein to her romantic streak by discussing the works of her favourite writers and poets with anyone who shared her passion.