Marlene Downes

Marlene Ingrid Quamina Downes was born on June 17, 1951 ‘a bundle of joy’ to Frankie (Theophilus) and Unica Quamina (nee Browne) (both deceased) in the tranquil seaside village of Plymouth, Tobago W.I. She was the loving mother of Leron Downes and grandmother of Lynese Downes both of Connecticut USA. Growing up she was our role model and Daddy’s girl. Marlene was a rare gem, most times loving, kind, generous and forgiving but at times mischievous in a jovial way, mysterious and then other times, insisted on doing things her way with no compromise. She was a dedicated and loyal friend to many of all walks of life. She laughed with them and cried with them. She was the life of a good lime be it a family gathering, party, church, excursion or cruise. Yet, she was deeply spiritual as honed from home and St. David’s Anglican Church Plymouth Tobago and deepened in her local church, Faith Temple Deliverance Center in Connecticut where she served as a devoted Sunday School teacher and Board member. We truly admired her elegant penmanship and impeccable use of the English Language. Her language skills were honed by her mother’s insistence that her children “speak proper English” and read excessively. She was an avid reader. Her educational foundation was at Plymouth Anglican School and furthered at Bishop High School Scarborough, Tobago where she mastered Latin, French and Spanish among her full O’ Level Certificate. Her chosen career or calling was teaching which led to her graduation from Port of Spain Teachers College Her colleagues and students claim that she was a teacher par excellence even if a disciplinarian. Her teaching career took flight in the late 1960s at Mason Hall Government Primary School, Tobago. Her sisters recall many of her students who spend part of their school vacations in their home, many of whom she remained in contact. After graduating from Port of Spain Teachers College, she made her mark at Bon Accord, St. Phillip and Tranquillity Government Primary schools in Port of Spain Trinidad. It is ironic that when Marlene left to study in the USA in the mid1970s, she shockingly declared that she wanted a break from teaching. Guess what, upon graduating from Lehman College in the field of Childhood Psychology, Summa Cum Laude she returned to her true calling in the classrooms of the USA. Among her last students of Lulac Head Start under the New Haven Board of Education, about a year ago, were Spanish speaking immigrants, a position for which she was sought after because of her teaching skills and her command of Spanish as a second language. We can learn from how Marlene lived her life with a sense of purpose to enlighten young minds and sharing God’s love but most of all let us learn from her faith in God. She saw the glass as half full always. Her family admired her fighting spirit, her tenacity, and courage in recent years, treating with serious health challenges as mere setbacks, never wanting to burden anyone and believing that God spared her life each time because he still had work for her to do here on earth. Could that work include the prayers, comforting and encouraging words she offered to many of her friends and relatives giving them hope and pointing them to Christ even from her hospital bed, even from ICU? Let this last post she sent out to some on July 29, 2021 inform your thoughts and direct your life in and for Christ as it does for us: “Gracious Lord, today may we stand on Your Word, pray for discernment, receive strength & guidance, lend a helping hand, be thankful, & humble and praise Your Holy name, In Jesus’ name Amen!” Aptly, it can be called Evangelism 101, or Faith 101 like a streetlight pointing us to Christ. We are thankful that she placed her trust in God and knew he was in charge and was with her always as she said often even to the end. It was God’s grace and mercy that she did not spend her final moments alone but in the presence of her son, Leron Downes and journeyed with prayers from him and her sisters. Marlene’s work in her physical body on earth is done. May she ‘walk well’. Her life has changed not ended. The scripture tells us that to be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord. (2 Cor. 5: 6). Let us cherish the special memories and emulate the positives in her life, her legacy. Another link of the chain was broken but will never be forgotten by her son, granddaughter, sisters, other relatives, friends and former students. We thank God for sharing his special gem with us and pray that she rest in peace and rise in glory. Amen. Marlene was the mother of Leron Downes, and grandmother of Lynese Downes (both of the USA); sister of Gloria Quamina-Hall (USA), Sharon Quamina, Rev’d Dr. Wendy Quamina Yorke, Beverly Quamina, Enamae Quamina-Moses and Selvon ‘Rennie’ Quamina (both deceased), Narda, Gude, Trudy and Andrea Quamina (Member of Trinidad and Tobago Police Service) and Nicole Quamina-Greenaway (USA). Aunt of Roxan Quamina-Dyer and Nicole Hall (USA), Lorraine, Nicholas and Nigel Yorke, Kendall Cuffy, Kenejha and Terrecia Stewart, Brianna and Keshawn Moses, DiAndrea and Ricardo (Jn) Greenaway, Sterling Roberts and Zada Quamina Great aunt of Keneise Stewart and 6 others. Sister-in-law of David Yorke, Ricardo Greenaway (Snr.) and Keith Moses. Cousin of Asquith Rollocks, Claudette Bruce, Kurt Bruce and June Solomon (USA), Claudia Quamina (Canada), Gaynour Gonzales Plillip, Boyie Ramsey, Authur Quamina (USA), Marion Hayes, Judy Williams and many others. God Mother of Rennison Rollocks (USA), Tammy Samuel, Terrance Joseph, Shirleen James, Cameron Browne and many others. Relative of the Quaminas of Plymouth and Les Coteau, Ramseys of Glen Road, George of Mason Hall, Kings of Patience Hill, Thomas, Browne, Cambell, Rollocks, Benoit, Woods, Williams of Plymouth and Belmont, Cox of Canaan; Friend of Claudine Vincent, Carol Lyons Brebnor, Caudette Gooding, Auldith De Coteau, Rudolph Gordon, Miriam Duncan Sutton, Virginia, Vida Guy, Lucille Gordon and Joanne Hannaway.

Marlene Downes

June 17, 1951 - August 4, 2021