- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 06/Aug 02:42

Military funeral for WPC found dead at home

Dozens of police officers gathered at the Port of Spain City Hall auditorium for a memorial service on August 5 to honour their late colleague WPC Jaye Bonard. Bonard, 30, died on July 29 at her Lodge Place, East Dry River, Port of Spain home, after suffering a seizure. Neighbours saw her cooking that morning, but when they got no response after calling out to her and knocking on her door, they looked through the curtains and saw her lying on the floor. They called the police who forced their way into the house and found Bonard's body between the bed and a wardrobe. Pastor Marlon Bailey, a friend of the family who hosted the service, urged her loved ones to turn to God for comfort. “In the presence of the Lord we can find strength, hope and the ability to cope with any circumstance. He can help us through the grieving process.” Speaking with Newsday at the service, her aunt Shavon Carmichael said though Bonard’s life was short, she had managed to live her dream. She said Bonard lived with her for many years and always expressed her intent to become a police officer, despite her (Carmichael’s) disapproval. [caption id="attachment_1170487" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Shavon Carmichael holds her phone as she shows other relatives a picture of her deceased neice WPC Jaye Bonard, at her memorial service, held at City Hall, Port of Spain on August 5.[/caption] “She always wanted to be a police officer, but I didn't like it. So I deterred her in her earlier years.” “But when she got about 21, she said, ‘You know, I really want to go down this road.’ And she pursued that." Carmichael said Bonard was always resolute in her beliefs and could not be deterred once she had set her mind on achieving a goal. “Whatever Jaye believed in, she gave one hundred per cent. She was a police officer and so she did everything to obey the laws of this land and to do her work to the best of her ability. “That was Jaye in a nutshell. If she decided what she wants to do and she believed in it, she gave her all to it. She went all out for it and nobody could stop her.” Carmichael urged young people to use Bonard’s life as an example. She said everyone has a purpose and they should try their best to ensure their purpose is fulfilled before they die. “So if you know your assignment is to cook, cook as best as you can, open a restaurant, do whatever you can and give your best. “Whatever is your passion, go after it, follow it, and give it all that you can. So that whenever God calls you home, you are satisfied that you have done well, you have lived your passion.” Bonard is expected to receive a military funeral on August 7. Officers will be dressed in their white ceremonial uniforms and police motorcycles will form part of the funeral procession. Bonard’s family will also be presented with a police flag at the funeral.   The post Military funeral for WPC found dead at home appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.