‘Be happy for our boy’

The father of a toddler who died after a collision with a taxi called on a grieving community to “go forward” in celebration of his son’s life, at his funeral service yesterday.

Up to 100 mourners attended the service for Nosa’J Stovell, at the New Testament Church of God, Hamilton.

The 21-month-old boy died after in a collision with a reversing taxi on September 25, on Wyndham Hill, Hamilton Parish.

The funeral service took place yesterday, followed by burial at St John’s Cemetery, Pembroke.

Although the atmosphere inside the church hall was sombre, the words of family members and Pastor Terrence Stovell lightened the weight of grief among the mourners.

It was a powerful, emotional service, made even more so by the soulful voices of Nosa’J’s mother D’chelle Allen, and Cindy Esdaille, who sang a duet to Take Me To the King.

Ms Allen’s mother also read out a beautiful poem, especially written in tribute to her grandson and his love for his mother D’chelle.

There was also an affectionate obituary by the toddler’s great aunt, Debra Tucker.

But it was the words of the father of Nosa’J that left the congregation with a message and legacy for his short life.

“He taught me a lot, this boy, about life,” said Jason Stovell.

“This boy would tell you what he wanted, how he wanted it done… everything.

“I won’t get any major accomplishments (academic degrees) but I will get the memory of a boy who did things with people without even trying… he was just living life every day.”

He said: “Live life with an open mind. If you really can do better, if you feel you’re not doing enough in the smallest sense, you turn around and look forward, and you go harder.

“This is a hard day for us all but we have to confront it and look forward. My son was too much of a blessing to everybody, too strong a young boy.

“Nosaj lived his life wide open, and we too need to have an open mind when it comes to life.

“I hope you understand there’s not really much of a loss (here) — it’s more of a sense of direction to where we should really be going.

“You don’t cry all the time — you smile, laugh and enjoy it (life), because if you don’t, you will find yourself somewhere you don’t want to be, withering.

“This is a boy that made everyone happy, so just be happy for this boy.

“We all just need to look forward now and be more positive. This is what life presents to you and you need to go forward, not wither.”

Pastor Stovell praised Mr Stovell’s words.

“While the circumstances surrounding Nosa’J’s death are difficult, this took great courage from his father, who has encouraged us,” he said.

“If he can encourage us to live on, it’s okay to move beyond this difficult time.

“The family will cry more, there will be tears that will come; memories are strong.

“But this is a call for us to move forward. Joy will come.

“You can’t turn back the hands of time, but things have happened. God has a reason why he had a flower he had planted plucked.”

Pastor Stovell told the story of a gardener who tended a flower for a wealthy man but one day found the flower was missing. His assistant told him the man, the owner, had taken it, “because he wanted it”.

He told him: “After all, you were working on the flower for him and he decided it was time to take it.”

Pastor Stovell said: “Out of these circumstances, as difficult as they are, they have provided for us an opportunity to hope again, to hope for something a whole lot better…

“Who knew that from the life of a baby boy we can be recalibrated to hope, and to do things differently — because life really is precious.”

Editor’s note: The Bermuda Sun covered the funeral after gaining prior permission from the parents of Nosa’J.