Cycling champ, Beyonce Ross, laid to rest

Jun 21, 2018 News

The Area H Ground Tarmac was packed to capacity, as relatives, friends, classmates, teammates, residents and persons from near and far of former National Cycling Champion Beyonce Dunella Ross, turned up to pay their final respects to their fallen star.
Ross’ body lay in a golden casket and was flanked by her teammates attired in tracksuits, while her parents, siblings and other relatives sat and also stood nearby. There was a table with Beyonce’s picture adorned with flowers as a symbol of remembrance.
Tributes from her former classmates of the Lower Corentyne Secondary School, her former teachers and also relatives commenced the service.

Beyonce’s classmates and a teacher from Lower Corentyne Secondary School paying tribute.

Minister of Social Cohesion Dr. George Norton in his tribute acknowledged that young Beyonce was “a talented daughter of the soil, a winner… Beyonce was a gifted young lady with tremendous potential, unfortunately she had to endure a lot during the last few months of her life”.
The Minister stated that he only learnt of Beyonce’s condition via social media and had immediately made contact with the Minister of Education and a health representative. He said shortly after they visited the teen’s home, and something stood out during his visit. “It was her smile, the smile she had on her face even though she was going through so much”.
Minister Norton added that despite Beyonce’s illness she never lost her jovial spirit, “she persevered like the true champion she was”.
In his closing remarks, Norton stated that as the Minister responsible for sport he will forever remember Ross for her talent, and more importantly, the sportsmanship she displayed.
Also speaking was Mr. John Adams, who spoke on behalf of the Ministry of Public Health. He revealed to those gathered that the Ministry also only learnt of the teen’s illness through social media, and “the very next morning without speaking to the minister I contacted her mom. From that day on we were in contact until her passing”.
While explaining and insisting that the Ministry tried their best in dealing with Beyonce’s case, Adams pointed out that while the tumour-stricken teen was hospitalized at the New Amsterdam Hospital they were in the process of sourcing her biographic data, “this was so that we would have gotten a US visa for her to be flown to the US for medical treatment; it was not that we did not try, but the Master has called and when the Master has called there is nothing that we could do”.

A section of the large gathering yesterday.

It was mentioned at the service that a Beyonce Ross annual cycling champion race is on the cards to take place, and there will be a foundation in honour of the late teen.
Other notable persons who paid their respects at the funeral were the Regional Education Officer Region Six Ms. Volika Jaikishun, Mayor of New Amsterdam Winifred Haywood, the Mayor and Town Clerk of Rose Hall Town, Director of Sport Christopher Jones, and President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union, Mark Lyte, among others.
The sermon was conducted by Apostle Balgobin Ragnauth of Lifespring Ministries. The eulogy was delivered by Beyonce’s aunt. She was laid to rest at the Rose Hall Town Cemetery.
Beyonce Ross was diagnosed with a brain tumor, she succumbed to her illness at the Georgetown Public Hospital shortly after being declared brain dead.