WATCH: Nation bids farewell to former minister Eustace ‘Teco’ Lake at official state funeral

An official funeral service was held this morning at the St. Andrew’s Anglican Church on Nevis Street for the former Member of Parliament for St. John’s Rural South and Minister of Works and Housing Eustace “Teco” Lake, who passed away on February 20 following a prolonged illness.

Governor General Sir Rodney Williams, Prime Minister Gaston Browne, and a full contingent of dignitaries from both sides of the political divide attended the ceremony.

The coffin, draped in the national flag, was conveyed from the church to its final resting place at the Tranquility Park Cemetery on Sir Sidney Walling Highway following the service.

Among those present were Senate President Senator Alincia Williams-Grant, Speaker of the House of Representatives Osbert Frederick, Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle, members of Cabinet, members of the diplomatic corps, and clergy.

Tributes from family and friends painted a portrait of a man whose personal warmth was as defining as his years of public service.

His nephew, who delivered the eulogy, described Lake as someone with a natural gift for human connection, a larger-than-life personality, and a smile capable of lifting those around him.

“He possessed a natural warmth, a gift for conversation, a larger-than-life personality, a smile that could lift even the heaviest heart, and a charm that could light up any room,” his nephew said. “Everybody loved him, everybody respected him, everybody knew him as Teco.”

The eulogy traced Lake’s life from his early education at the All Saints Primary School, through Princess Margaret School and the Antigua State College, to his professional career beginning at Antigua Commercial Bank before he migrated to the United States.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from St. John Fisher University in Rochester, New York, where he became a member of what those present called the Dudley Fisher Crew, a group of Antiguan and Caribbean alumni from the institution.

A representative of the Dudley Fisher Crew delivered a tribute on behalf of former classmates, describing Lake as a mentor, protector, and brother to many in the group.

“Teco actually became a mentor, a protector, a brother to some of us,” the representative said. “If he called you sis or bro, that wasn’t because he forgot your name. It was because you were truly important to him.”

Lake returned to Antigua and Barbuda in the early 2000s, driven, according to those who knew him, by a commitment to national development. Before entering formal politics, he served as Operations Manager at Bargain Centre.

He was also a passionate supporter of the steel pan tradition and was active in the Junior Chamber International (JCI).

He was first elected to the House of Representatives for St. John’s Rural South in 2009 and was re-elected in 2014.

During his parliamentary tenure, he served as Minister of Works and Housing.

Following his departure from electoral politics in 2018, he was appointed as a senator, serving in that capacity until 2022.
Lake also served as Chairman of the Caribbean Commonwealth Human Rights Group.

Archdeacon Reed, in his tribute, described Lake as a “decided politician who devoted his life to the service of others,” whose commitment to family, community, and people had created a legacy that would endure.

Lake is survived by his two sons, Jossie and Trevor.