DAREECE POLO &
GAIL ALEXANDER
The Government will be providing what Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has described as “a state-assisted funeral” for Minister in the Ministry of Education Lisa Morris-Julian.
Addressing the media at West Park in Diego Martin yesterday, Rowley said the Government will do all it can to assist the family during this time of grief, adding that Morris-Julian’s loved ones will determine when and where the funeral will take place.
“The Government, today (yesterday) at Cabinet, took a decision to have a state-assisted funeral. It’s not a state funeral. State-assisted specifically means the Government will be helping the family, providing significant funding, and helping the family with the logistics of a funeral in which there is great public interest.
“The family will determine the date and the place and we will cooperate and go alongside,” he added.
Up to yesterday afternoon, Rowley said the Government remained on standby once they were informed about when the funeral would be.
Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Dr Amery Browne, speaking during a phone interview yesterday, added, “Great care will be taken to ensure that our beloved sister and her two children are given a send-off commensurate with her inspirational life of service and dedication.”
Morris-Julian, her 25-year-old daughter Xianne and six-year-old son Jesiah, died due to smoke inhalation in a fire that ravaged their Arima home on Monday. The blaze engulfed their home around 5.30 am and severely injured her husband, Daniel, who was among the other family members to narrowly escape.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the D’Abadie/O’Meara said a venue is under consideration.
“Discussions in recent days on a funeral venue had flowed to the Larry Gomes Stadium based on the fact that Lisa is a person who preferred having events in her constituency. Whether or not that’s the final choice will be known when the family finalises and speaks with the Government on arrangements.”
The Larry Gomes stadium, located in Malabar, can hold 10,000 people.
The spokesman could not say if a funeral would be after Christmas or before, “as everybody’s waiting on Daniel.”
Julian was being treated to prevent infection of his burns. Sources close to the family said yesterday a large number of people went to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope to see him but only a few were allowed in.
One visitor said, “He’s aware Lisa and the children died ... but seems to be holding up for now.”
Former MP and PNM general secretary Ashton Ford, who was among mourners at last night’s wake near the house on Farfan Street, said the party may likely have a “caretaker” for D’Abadie/O’Meara until elections are called.
Ford added, “She was my political daughter, she came from PNM, her maternal grandmother being a Toco councillor and her grandfather, Arima mayor. I’ll advocate to ensure her dreams are fulfilled. But it’s more difficult for her mother who lost four family members in nine months. Lisa’s father died in March, now she and her children are gone.”
This evening, the PNM’s Women’s League holds a memorial for Morris-Julian who was its vice chairman at Balisier House.
