Carlet gets family send-off

“I know there has been a lot of miscommunication,” Carlyle Holder told reporters after his sister’s farewell service at Allen’s Funeral Chapel, Broadway, Arima. “Basically, I don’t want to get into details.” Holder, who has lived in the United States since the 1970s, claimed neither he nor his elder sister were apprised of the details concerning Holder-Alvarez’s funeral arrangements.

“I wasn’t contacted and my sister was not contacted and we were travelling. So, it (funeral) just could not happen.

There were still family members that were travelling. I see that it became a big feud and it shouldn’t have been.

“I got a call the morning that the service was going on and one of my family members, right when it began, said it was out of order. And really, that’s it. “Is not about what I want or what nobody else wants.

So, that is really what happened. So, we would have missed everything if it had continued on Thursday.” During Holder-Alvarez’s funeral service on Thursday, a woman, believed to be her aunt, walked into the church and, in full view of mourners, announced the funeral could not take place.

Her declaration elicited shock among members of the congregation, including officiating priest Fr Emmanuel Pierre.

After the announcement, Holder-Alvarez’ casket was quickly placed in a hearse and taken to a funeral home as mourners remained baffled by the unfortunate development.

Holder-Alvarez, 46, a popular host at Synergy TV, lost her battle with lupus on July 15.

Yesterday, Holder described the controversy surrounding Thursday’s funeral service as sad.

“In a time of grieving, it was sad that it had this type of thing transpiring. Everything should be in order and if I was here that would not have happened. Had they called me, we would have accommodated everybody’s wishes because we know that everybody wanted to give her a good sending-off.” Holder joked his sister had always told friends her death would bring “bacchanal.” “So, everything happened for a reason.

While we can blame, that is life and death. Unfortunately that transpired but at the end of the day, she got the wishes that she wanted. Because I tell everybody, I’m just her brother.” Holder-Alvarez, who converted to Islam in her latter years, became known in some circles as Carlet Muhummad.

And although Islam does not subscribe to cremation but burial, the media worker was cremated at Allen’s Funeral Home after the service in a marked departure from the tenets of the faith.

Holder explained the reason behind the decision to cremate her remains.

“Carlet had asked that she be cremated but we knew she was a Muslim.

So we asked her teacher, Mr (David) Muhummad if there could be compromise without violating the true principles of what she requested. In death, we want to make sure that Carlet’s wishes are honoured and that is really what it was.” Earlier, in his eulogy, Nation of Islam local representative and radio talk show host David Muhummad, one of Holder-Alvarez’s childhood friends, revealed they converted to Islam within a year of each-other. He assumed his Islamic name on February 26, 1996 while she did so on February 26, 1997.

He said she occasionally co-hosted his radio talk show The Black Agenda whenever he went abroad. He told a small gathering Holder- Alvarez will be remembered for her joyful, infectious personality.

“One thing that we could say Carlet has over most of us, if not all of us, is that she would have brought more joy to you who knew her, more than anyone else probably who you know,” he said.

He criticised those who delight in other people’s pain.

“Some of us are toxic, bitter, and cannot communicate with anyone unless we deliver poison.

Some of us feel we uplift ourselves by dragging down others,” he said.