FAMILY, friends and colleagues gathered on Monday night to pay tribute to late accident victims Christian and Teresa Alleyne-Adams.
The Mt St George couple was crushed to death shortly after 2 pm on May 18 after a truck collided and fell on top of their SUV vehicle along the Claude Noel Highway, between Rockley Vale traffic lights and the Botanical Gardens lay-by, Tobago.
Adams was a fireman and his wife, an employee in the THA Division of Finance and the Economy. They had three young children.
During a celebration at the THA Division of Community Development, Youth Development and Sport, Glen Road, Scarborough, speakers shared heartfelt testimonies of their experiences with the couple.
The tributes were punctuated with performances by pannist Leandro Noray, Montgomery Drummers, a praise and worship team, among others.
Host Afiya Giles-Baynes, in her opening remarks, said the turnout at the conference hall reflected the couple’s influence on the lives of others.
She said, “This gathering is a testament to the impact Chris and Terry had on our lives. It is not as assignment we wanted but one we understood. But we showed up and we are showing off for them to celebrate them. So I know they would be grateful for this overwhelming outpouring of love and support.”
[caption id="attachment_1018795" align="alignnone" width="514"] Christian Adams and his wife, Teresa Alleyne-Adams -[/caption]
Giles-Baynes said Teresa would be remembered for her warmth, infectious laughter and pride in her appearance.
Of the latter, she said, “Even in her younger years, she ensured that she was never caught slipping.”
Giles-Baynes read a social media post from a woman named Kimberly, who recalled her meticulousness.
“She (Teresa) fainted during a march past and when she came to on a stretcher, the first thing she requested was a comb to fix her hair.”
She said the couple also loved God and each other.
Giles-Baynes read a comment from Jovanni, who said, “Terry was secure and certain about Chris’ love for her. He made her feel like she was the only woman in the room and that was just one of the many reasons why she loved him.”
Giles-Baynes said the couple also loved their children.
“Their dedication as parents and the importance of creating fun memories and experiences always were prioritised…..They loved their family, immediate, extended and selected.”
She urged attendees, many of whom wore white, to honour the couple’s memory by striving to emulate that love in their everyday lives.
“I know some of us forget and covid(19) gave us a very sober reminder but sometimes we are very caught up with our own challenges that we seldom exercise empathy. And so I throw out this challenge to all of us to exercise that love that we saw Terry and Christian share.”
Speaking on behalf of the class of 2002 at Scarborough Secondary, which Christian attended, Krystal Solomon recalled it was only last year that they comforted each other at the funeral of a classmate.
“But this one (death) was devastating to us all,” she sai
