'A simple boy with simple choices'
Published:Sunday | March 27, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Sts Peter and Paul Prep student laid to rest
Nadisha Hunter, Staff Reporter
FOND memories, admiration, and love flooded the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Kingston yesterday as hundreds of mourners, including students of the Sts Peter and Paul Preparatory School, gathered to pay tribute to Jeremiah Yson, the nine-year-old student whose life was cut short in a freak accident last week.
JR, as he was mostly called, died after a goalpost on the school's playing field fell on him.
His mother, Joy Yson, and sister, Geramie, could not control the tears as they cried openly for their loved one.
His aunt, Marietta Dazo, described him as a smart and talented boy who was a good entertainer with no dull moments.
"He was the apple of the eye of the family, friends, and the Filipino community. I will never forget his cute and innocent smile. He was a simple boy with simple choices," she explained.
"JR was a special child and a gifted one. He might have had a short life here on Earth, but it was a meaningful one," she added.
She came to tears as she recalled the tragic incident that took her nephew's life, but quickly found comfort in Luke 2: vs 48-50, a scripture she said she repeated when news spread that her nephew had died.
His former teacher, Yvonne Downer, spoke highly of Jeremiah, saying that he was bound to be successful.
Kind-hearted, soft-spoken, artistic, and ever smiling is how she said she remembered him.
"He was among a bunch of flowers, but he bloomed differently. His petals would pull the attention of anyone who admired that bouquet, for his colours were not camouflage, neither were they like any other on the stem," she said.
Memorable moments
Jonnel Palacio, Jeremiah's Missionary of the Poor brother, shared one of his memorable moments with the congregation, pushing many persons over the edge of sadness.
"He knows chess very much, and I used to tease him, telling him that I am going to play with him, and JR would answer back, 'In three months I am going to beat you in chess, yes brother, in three months.' But we never played," he lamented.
His distraught sister, who read the eulogy, described her brother as an adorable child who was loved by all.
"Jeremiah had such a refreshing personality. He was a very caring and gentle boy. He was full of life; a boy who makes everyone around him happy," she said.
She added that apart from playing chess, his most memorable moment was when he became a member of Father Ho Lung and Friends.
Following the tributes, his schoolmates formed a guard of honour in the hallway as his body was carried into the church after minutes of viewing at the doorway.