Ann Jane Frances Duprey died on August 17. She was 94. Her granddaughter, Dr Ottrisha Carter, delivered the following eulogy which has been edited for length.
Ann Jane Frances Duprey better known as ‘Miss Duprey’ or ‘Mama’ was born August 21, 1929, to Charles and Marie Gardner. On August 17, 2024, which was the Feast of Our Lady of Knock, Mama departed this life. Interestingly, the anniversary of Our Lady of Knock’s apparition is August 21, Mama’s birthday. Mama had a special devotion to Our Lady, so we thank God for the gift of Mama’s life and the grace that He has bestowed on Mama in giving her the opportunity to be born and to die on Marian days.
As a teacher at the Coryal RC School, Mama met her wonderful husband Lawrence Duprey who had been appointed at the same school. They taught together and their relationship blossomed into marriage in 1950.
Mama and Papa supported each other in every aspect of their lives. With God’s grace, Papa retired as a school supervisor and Mama retired as a school principal.
Mama was a loving, supportive, committed, understanding, trustworthy and gentle wife. Mama ensured that she went above and beyond to take care of Papa during his time of illness.
In 2013, God called Papa home to Himself. After Papa’s passing, Mama continued to be loyal to her deceased husband by praying many rosaries every day for the repose of his soul.
Mama was a selfless, caring, nurturing, loving and adorable mother. She ensured that her children were taught good Christian morals and values so that they could not only be successful adults but also deepen their relationships with the Lord. Mama spent a lot of time praying for her children, seeking God’s protection and guidance for each of them. She had a special love for each one of her children.
Mama’s grandchildren were blessed with an angelic grandmother. Mama was our second Mummy, our teacher, our nurse, our babysitter, our cook, our catechist, our prayer warrior, our comforter, our safe space, the one who understood us when the rest of the world found it difficult to accept our views and opinions on different topics.
Mama was the person we all ran to for advice. Whether it be about school projects, shopping ideas, life decisions, struggles among other areas of life, we would turn to Mama who we knew had the ability to help us overcome whatever we were facing.
As I reflected on Mama’s life, Proverbs 31:26 came to my mind: “She opens her mouth in wisdom, and on her tongue is kindly counsel.” Mama taught us how to turn to Jesus not only in moments of trials and tribulations but to hold on to Jesus both in the good times and the bad.
Mama helped us to establish a relationship with Our Blessed Mother whom she referred to as Mama Mary. Mama taught us all these valuable lessons about life, but she never taught us how to live without her.
Mama was an active member of the Coryal Parish from a young age. She dedicated her life to serving God. She took the Lord’s invitation to serve Him very seriously.
For many years, Mama served as a lay minister, a eucharistic minister, a choir member, a member of the prayer group, as a catechist for Baptism, First Communion and RCIA. Mama was also in charge of lectors, a member of the cleaning crew, planned Church activities such as: Christmas treats for children, Mother’s and Father’s Day celebrations, led Adoration sessions, and cooked for workers for harvests.
Additionally, one of Mama’s passions was sewing. She enjoyed sewing Church linens. Many times, Mama would be up until 2 a.m. ensuring that all Church linens were sewn and ready to be used especially for great feasts in the liturgical calendar. Mama was always happy to use one of her God-given talents to beautify the Lord’s house.
In addition to serving God, Mama was always passionate about serving others. Mama gave back to the Coryal community by taking up responsibilities as secretary at one point before becoming Vice President of the Coryal Credit Union. She encouraged community members to join the credit union and put their money to good use by saving for rainy days.
Everyone who met Mama would gravitate to her and they also became a special part of Mama’s life. People who were less fortunate visited Mama very often for food, clothes, school supplies among other necessary items for survival. It was clear that Mama was always happy to welcome others into her home because she believed that she had a responsibility to be Christ’s hands and feet to others. Mama taught us the importance of making space in our hearts for others especially for those who are struggling in one way or another. Mama had a big heart, so it wasn’t strange to us whenever we heard people who did not belong to our family refer to Mama as their mother.
I remember one time as a child, we were watching television with Mama and we heard someone calling. We ran to the front door and the person asked us: “Where is my mother?” At that point, we were a bit confused as we thought that this person had mistaken our home for someone else’s home. However, when Mama came to the door, we realised that Mama was familiar with the person as she had responded positively to her. Soon enough we also accepted this person and treated her as a part of our family.
We’re all heartbroken and unsure of what life will be without our beloved Mama. Our only consolation is that God is taking care of Mama for us. Some years ago, one of our former parish priests described Mama as a living saint. Mama you’re no longer with us physically but we know that you’re with God. We know that you’re praying for each one of us and we will continue to pray for the repose of your soul.