radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Having spent three decades in the media business, photographer Anthony “Tony” Howell was given a loving send-off by his five daughters yesterday, buried in a blue suit and khaki photographer’s vest, which he wore routinely on assignment.
His cameraman bag, which had always been part of his attire, sat on his casket as mourners came to pay their last respects to him at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in San Fernando.
San Fernando Mayor Junia Regrello, a friend of Howell, who kept in touch with him long after Howell suffered his first stroke in 2019, read a Bible scripture at the funeral.
Howell’s passion for photography, in particular his coverage of the arts, was lauded by Father Harold Woodroffe who officiated.
Howell’s kindness to others was the legacy he left behind, Woodroffe said, adding, “Tony mentored those in photography and he extended himself to help others. He has touched the lives of many people because of his giving nature as he followed the example of his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
Howell’s youngest daughter Antonia broke down in tears several times as she read his eulogy.
“My dad had a great sense of humour and could easily lighten a tense moment with a joke. He was a man who loved meeting people and hearing their stories it’s one of the things that made him truly happy,” Antonia recalled.
She added, “He loved capturing the magnificence of our culture and would attend every cultural event. His passion was photography. He never edited his photographs as he always said you have to look through the eyes of the lens to captivate that right moment with a click. That is how Click 10 Media was founded. He spent three decades in media and was loved by all his colleagues.”
Deacon Harold Woodroffe, sprinkling holy water on the casket of veteran Guardian photographer Tony Howell, during the funeral service at Our Lady of Perpetual Help R.C Church on Harris Promenade in San Fernando, yesterday.
RISHI RAGOONATH
Antonia said even when her father started to lose his memory from dementia, he never forget his Guardian family.
She recalled how he became friends with Hazel Ross-Perot, the South Bureau manager.
“He covered stories for reporters dictating them word for word. He would stay in the office waiting for his colleagues to finish work, before walking home. He was instrumental in helping them in their personal lives as well, capturing photographs of their children and documenting important life events,” she said.
“His gentle spirit, his influence, his character, and his discipline was the foundation of our family. My father taught me to be fair, humble, kind, independent; and to be open. I am truly going to miss our conversations. My dad always knew how to comfort me when the world is unkind. He always had that word of encouragement, faith, and pillar of strength. I don’t know how you would know when something is wrong, but you were always there to hold our hands,” Antonia said.
She reminded the audience to live by the values by which her father lived.
“Uplift people, be kind, be polite and be good to others. This is the man who was Tony Howell. Let’s all live by his ideals,” Antonia said.
Following the funeral service, the hearse bearing Howell’s body drove through the city. It stopped at the Guardian’s old office on Chancery Lane, where Howell last worked before he fell ill.
The hearse then drove up to High Street where Howell captured award-winning photographs of life in the city.
He was then laid to rest at the St Clement’s Cemetery.
