Joan soared

Joan Khelawan died March 27. She was age 83. Her daughter Kerina delivered the eulogy at the April 7 Funeral Mass at St John the Baptist RC Church, St Augustine. The eulogy has been edited for length.

With hearts full of love and cherished memories, we celebrate the life of a remarkable woman. Born on December 27, 1942, to Rose Fortune and Henry Hazel, she was christened Catherine Jane Fortune but later adopted the name Joan, after often being referred to as such because of her striking resemblance to Hollywood beauty Joan Crawford. She shared the family home with her mother, stepfather, and two brothers.

From her humble beginnings on St John’s Road, St Augustine, Joan became a beloved figure whose kindness, natural charm, and quiet strength touched countless lives. The Catholic faith served as her anchor, guiding her actions and shaping the compassionate woman she became.

It was within this same community that Joan’s eyes first met Vernon’s. Their romance blossomed at Catholic Youth Organisation events, where laughter, faith, and friendship intertwined.

A true gentleman, Vernon penned a formal, beautifully crafted letter requesting her hand in marriage—a treasure she kept safely tucked away. On August 8, 1965, they exchanged vows and began a partnership that would span 60 years, marked by unwavering commitment, shared adventures, and deep devotion to one another.

To Vernon, Joan was a devoted and beloved wife. She was Daddy’s rock. Nothing was ever too much trouble when it came to doing something for him. She prepared his favourite meals with care, kept order in the home, and organised his world with quiet efficiency. Her love was expressed through service, steadiness, and companionship.

Their journey together was nothing short of adventure. Through it all, their matrimony flourished, blessed with four children—Kevin, Kerina, Kendra‑Ann, and Kendall—each one shaped by the values, humour, and love that filled their home.

Joan began her professional life teaching at St Charles Girls’ High School, later moving to Fatima RC in Curepe, where her impact lingered so strongly that, years later when I attended, a chair still bore her name.

Though she taught many lessons by how she lived, her true career unfolded far from the classroom. It soared in the aviation industry—not in the cockpit or cabin, but among the essential people who ensured every journey started smoothly.

From reservation specialist to ground staff, Joan served with distinction at Antilles Airboats, Sutherland Tours, and Amrals Travel Service, eventually becoming a customer service agent at BWIA, where she retired in 1995. Her professionalism, warmth, and reliability made her a treasured colleague.

Her years were filled with so much that it is hard to capture it all today.

• She was a dresser—always intentional about her appearance, no matter the occasion. She often repeated a lesson from a beloved teacher: you must always step out looking marketable. In her own words, “I can’t go out looking like I have no owner.” Even in her later days, when I helped her dress and presented an outfit, she would place her hands on her chest to signal, “What, no matching beads?”
• To her colleagues, she was revered as a mother, teacher, friend, and provider. During her BWIA days, the famed green basket with Joan’s tasty sandwiches was a godsend to early‑morning staffers at a time when there were no Rituals or Starbucks around the corner. Imagine—she didn’t even eat tuna, yet she made a wicked tuna sandwich.
• She belonged to several choirs over the years, offering an angelic voice and steadfast commitment. Most recently, as a member of her church choir, she was a dear friend to Brenda and Diane, who fondly called her ‘Joanie Joan’.
• She was a sportswoman—taking her table tennis prowess to an international competition in Belgium and even trying her hand at hockey.
• She served as secretary to many associations and church groups and never missed an opportunity to be active in the PTA—once even creating one when her child’s school didn’t have any.
• Together with Vernon, she was part of the pioneering group that brought Worldwide Marriage Encounter to Trinidad and Tobago and a core member of the pre‑marriage counselling team serving the Suburban Vicariate.
• As a friend, her accomplishments are too numerous to list. A simple acknowledgement cannot capture the depth of loyalty, kindness, and quiet strength she offered to everyone who called her “friend.”
• And of course, her legendary Parang birthday parties.

Today wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Mommy’s sweet hand. Saltfish buljol and fried bake made Good Friday special, and she transformed Daddy’s media Christmas party with local delights—oil down, black pudding, pig‑foot souse, saltfish and buttered cassava mix. Her barbecue, pepperpot, fruit cake, and never‑to‑be‑outdone pastelles were unforgettable.

Joan was a poet and lyricist. Her good‑natured humour sparkled through greeting cards penned for birthdays, holidays, or simply to brighten someone’s day. Her lyrical talent also shone at BWIA in her Traffic Lighters newsletter, celebrating the triumphs and tribulations of the Traffic team in playful verse. Her poem ‘Bad Drivers’, a witty commentary on Trinidad’s driving habits, was even published in the Trinidad Express.

Mom’s love for music and the arts drew her repeatedly to the stage, where she charmed audiences with song and dance, even leading her own troupe, the J‑Gees—Joan’s Girls—in her youth. Her Hollywood moment came in 1977 as an extra in the sci‑fi horror adaptation of The Island of Doctor Moreau, a memory she cherished and retold with joyful humour.

She was known by many names—Mrs K, Aunty Joan, Killers, Mrs Khelawan. She was a sister‑in‑law, an adopted mom, an aunt, a great‑aunt, and a mother‑in‑law—the kind of woman who stepped into every role with generosity and a quiet instinct for knowing exactly what each person needed.

To her family, she was ‘Mom’, ‘Grandma’, ‘Gran‑Gran’—the one who nurtured us, grounded us, and loved us in ways that shaped who we became.

Over the years, she made a positive impact wherever the good Lord took her. Even as she slowed down in her later years, her joie‑de‑vivre never faltered. Her smile, her wit, her commitment, her compassion, her love—they remain with us.

Mom, you are a shining star, and the warmth of your light will keep our hearts forever ablaze.