In memory of Mrs. Maxine Gadsby-Hall

8th November, 1970 - Wednesday March 2nd, 2005

Click here to view Maxine's Photo Gallery

Biographical Sketch of Maxine's Life

Part 1 (taken from the funarel service program)

Born at Community Hospital on 8th November, 1970 to Jaqueline and Melvin Gadsby. The family resided at Sun Valley Drive, Upper Santa Cruz at the time. The Black Power revolution of that year had just been defused.

Was offered to the Lord at the age of three months.

Became a sister to brother, Christopher, on 10th November, 1971. Was delighted to have a brother. Born one year and two days after her, Chris would share each birthday with her. The two children would go on to attend the same schools together starting at Primary School and continuing through to CUC (Caribbean Union College). They would develop a bond that endured through to the end of her life.

Witnessed as a child of two the death of her maternal grandmother in 1972. Like her daughter now, probably had only a vague understanding of the mystery of death based on this experience.

Took up abode with her family in the sprawling St. Augustine homestead. Here her next four formative years would be spent, and here her love for flowers had it's origin.

Became by proxy with her brother, Chris, the child of dozens of youth leaders and university students at UWI, St. Augustine, who frequented her home during this period. This extended family included many "uncles" and "aunts" who adored the two children.

Spent the next few years travelling all over Trinidad and Tobago with her parents and brother on Youth work related missions.

The family became in many ways a close-knit itinerant family, often during her life, Maxine understood the value of, and maintained strong bonds. This is her family:

Husband: Orlando Hall
Daughter: Elisa Helen-Stacey Hall
Parents: Jacqueline & Melvin Gadsby
Brothers & Sister-in-law: Hadyn-John, Christopher & Nicole Gadsby
Gadsby cousins: Nigel, Neil, David, Michael, Shantal, Nicolle, Nyan, Asha
Moore cousins: Terrance, Paul, Allison, Stephen, Sharon, Elisa (deceased), Jeremy, Michael, Adam
Aunts & Uncles: Joyce Patrick, Kelvin Gadsby, Eileen Gadsby, Glenn Gadsby, Judy Jennings, Shirley Campbell (deceased), David Moore, Pamela Moore
Parents-in-Law: Anastacia & Eustace Hall
other In-Law's: Anthony La Croix, Trevor Antoine, Marian, Donald, Dolly
Nieces & Nephews: Nequan, Shea, Solana
Extended family: The Fyffes, Felixes, Moores, Samersons, Alexanders, Archers, Halls, La Croix, Marcano's, Yardes

Part 2 (by a friend)

I feel it very important at this juncture to talk a little about Maxine's relationship with her other brother Hadyn. I don't really know a whole lot about him personally, having met him only maybe once or twice in my life. However, Maxine was always talking about him ... talking about how he was studying at U.W.I., Jamaica (I think) ... about when next he'd be home, and then about all the cleaning that they were doing to get things ready for when he got back. He was (if I remember correctly) about two or three years younger than Maxine & Chris, and I guess that may have partly been the reason why she wasn't as close to him as she was to Chris, but still they were close ... the whole family was close. I remember her telling me one day about the night Wendy Fitzwilliam won the Miss Universe crown, both her brothers (I believe) went running around the neighborhood waking everyone up with their yells of delight.

Maxine and I first met through Caribbean Union College's student Newspaper, The Channel. At the time I was just in my first year, and the then editor, Mr Clinton Lopez, called a meeting for everyone who was interested in writing for the newspaper. It was there that Maxine, Dominic, Chrys, Eutille and I met and became friends. Maxine, at that time, had been attending CUC for several years and had already switched courses several times. At that time, she was studying Business Administration, which shortly afterwards, became Business Education (as a result of the College changing the program). Then Maxine switched to History as her Major, and went on to work in the History department as secretary to Mr. Joseph (head of department) after Eutille (the previous secretary) graduated.

I remember that although Maxine, Chrys and I were studying different courses (Maxine with Business Administration and then History, Chrys with English, & me with Behavioral Science) and were in different years, we used to always be doing stuff together. Whether it was studying in the library, working on stuff for the Channel, or leaving campus to go for a drive, and out of the whole crew from the channel, we were the ones, who graduated together in May of 2001, in spite of the fact that Maxine and Chrys had begun their College Education before me.

After graduating from Caribbean Union College, Maxine took the next three months for maternity leave and then returned to Caribbean Union College, this time as a lecturer in the History department. When her daughter was about a year old, Maxine decided to go back to school. Her deceased Grandfather had made her promise that she'd go on to do her Masters degree, so she went to U.W.I. to study for her Masters in History, while at the same time, continuing to teach History at Caribbean Union College.

I remember that it was during her time at CUC, about a year or so after I first met Maxine, that she began seeing her future husband, Orlando Hall, who at that time was studying to become a Seventh Day Adventist minister. He also, subsequently, got heavily involved with the Channel and became good friends with all of us.

I remember it was about a year or a year and a half after they first started dating that they got engaged, and then about a year before Maxine graduated, on the 30th of July, 2000, they got married. Their daughter, Elisa Helen-Stacey Hall, was born almost exactly one (1) year later on August 7th 2001.

July 30th, 2000: Maxine and Orlando cutting their wedding cake.

July 30th, 2000: Maxine & Orlando with Maxine's parents, Jacqueline & Melvin Gadsby

September 2001: Maxine, Orlando & baby Elisa, just about a month after Elisa was born in August 2001.

Maxine died on March 2nd, 2005, after a very short battle with liver cancer, at the age of 34 years. Leaving to mourn, her husband, Orlando, 3 1/2 year old daughter, Elisa, parents, siblings, in-laws, aunts, uncles, cousins and other family members.

The funarel was held on the afternoon of Tuesday March 8th, 2005, at the Arima S.D.A. church.