Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer

Barrington Guthrie was among hundreds of mourners who turned up at the Linstead Seventh-day Adventist Church in St Catherine to bid farewell to Anthony Rambaran and his wife Ivell.

"It is a very sad moment for me as I was the photographer at their wedding, and now I am the photographer at their funeral," Guthrie told The Gleaner.

The Rambarans were murdered on January 8 at their home in Commodore, a community situated just outside Linstead. Their remains were interred at the Commodore Cemetery following yesterday's service.

If the many tributes at the service are anything to go by, it appears they would have led a wholesome life.

Peta-Gay Rambaram, the oldest child, described her parents as her heroes.

"My mother was like everything to me. My father was quiet and kind. Together, they instilled good values in us. This is really a very sad moment for us," she said.

The eulogy, read by Millicent Mowatt, Wayne Ebanks, and J. Edwards, painted the Rambarans as very kind, helpful, hard-working persons who were committed to the growth of their community.

"Everybody here can see what a pure love and happiness the couple had. That is why this gathering is so large," Michelle Angus, a mourner, said.

Overcome with emotions

Peter Abraham, councillor for the Bog Walk division, was among the mourners overcome with emotions.

"There is a level of sadness in me right now as Anthony was my schoolmate. We played marbles and cricket together. It is sad," Abraham said.

Similarly, Richard Baker, the chief public health inspector for St Catherine, said Anthony had left an indelible mark on the organisation.

"He worked with us for over 30 years and was the vector control officer for Linstead, and he did not know how to say no, " Baker said, adding that he had left big shoes which would be hard to fill.