Anchored in the faith

A tribute by Angela Pidduck

Sheila Theresa Faustin née Roudette died in Toronto, Canada, on August 15, 2021. She was 94. Her Funeral Mass was held on Friday, August 20 in St Timothy’s Catholic Church, 21 Leith Road, North York followed by interment at Highland Memory Gardens, 33 Memory Gardens Lane, Toronto.
Sheila leaves to mourn her husband of 66 years, former Lt Colonel Irwin Faustin of the Trinidad & Tobago Defence Force and children, Kathleen Ann, Gwyneth, and Michael Faustin, who also reside in Toronto.
Says Kathleen Ann: “Mum’s life was a life devoted to loving God and trying always to do His will. She was anchored in her Roman Catholic faith which shone through everything she said and did both in Trinidad and Tobago and then in Toronto, Canada. She was involved in the Legion of Mary and very devoted to Mother Mary so it is very fitting that she died on the Feast of the Assumption at 3 a.m.”
Growing up in Woodbrook, Sheila was a member of St Theresa’s Parish and on moving to Petit Valley, assisted in the Parish of St Anthony’s by helping in the building of community life, and says Gwyneth, “was one of the pioneers at St Anthony’s Church in organising funds to help build the church in Cameron. Once a week, she would make the trip to Cameron with Dad’s driver from the T&T Regiment to talk to the people about their faith and what was urgently needed as a community.
“Especially around Easter and the boxes to the families, our home in Palm Avenue was always buzzing with activities as a result of Mum’s involvement with St Anthony’s Church which included leading her group in sewing and mending priestly garments.”
On her husband’s retirement from the Defence Force, the Faustins emigrated to Toronto, and Sheila continued her devotion and service to St Timothy’s Parish in Toronto for 30-plus years, working assiduously in the community where she joined the Legion of Mary and the Rosary Apostolate, going into the schools to teach the children how to pray the rosary.
She also belonged to the Catholic Women’s League and the Christian Women’s Foundation.
Always at the side of her beloved husband, this soft-spoken woman will also be remembered for her charm when Lt Colonel Faustin served as Aide de Camp to two Presidents—Sir Ellis Clarke and Noor Hassanali and as well for her willing service to the Port of Spain Lions Club as a member of the Lionesses group who at that time worked in support of their spouses in the Club.
Her three adult children said in their combined eulogy: “This woman, whose smile would always be there in spite of the pain that she was experiencing, kept the light of Christ burning and was able to transmit that to us as her children. Laughter was always there.
“The gift to her community and family was the irreplaceable gift of her time. She always welcomed others into her home, both in Trinidad and Tobago and later on in Canada.
“The more time you spent with her, the more you could feel new parts of yourself awaken as she effortlessly offered great words of wisdom and solace, the most often used were: ‘I can’t, but Jesus can’.”