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Saturday, November 20, 2004
Lensman Gene Boyd buried at sunset
By Jenny Molbog-Mendoza and Joy G. Romares
DAVAO CITY -- As the sun set Friday, slain photojournalist Gene Boyd R. Lumawag was buried in the presence of close to a thousand friends, kin, and acquaintances at the San Pedro Memorial Park in Marfori Heights, Davao City.
The body of the young Lumawag was first brought to the Assumption Parish Church along F. Torres Street, this city, at 2 p.m. Friday.
It was a heart-rending homily as those who condoled with the family and joined the necrological mass finally came to realize that the one officiating was no less than Gene Boyd's uncle, Fr. Edgar Rodriguez.
Fr. Rodriguez recalled how he first read of Gene Boyd's death while he was having breakfast in their parish in Ermita, Manila.
He was looking at the newspaper, he said, with a picture of a beautiful sunset. Beside it was the photo of his young nephew. It took a while for him to realize that the story accompanying the photos was about Gene Boyd's death.
During the priest's homily, he expressed his appreciation for the strength and faith of Tatay Rene, Gene Boyd's father, for accepting the death of his son although the father described it as a senseless death.
While expressing understanding for the grief of Minerva, Gene Boyd's mother, Fr. Rodriguez wished his sister could accept her son's death.
It was a mix crowd that accompanied Gene Boyd to his final resting place--family, kin, friends and acquaintances from the media, non-government organizations, the City Government and other government agencies, including Regional Development Council chair Jesus V. Ayala, who of late has preferred to stay out of the limelight.
With tears pouring down her cheeks, Renee Belle or Dimple, Gene Boyd's older sister, read a letter from their cousin, Jasmine, who is based in Vienna, Austria about her brother's stay in Austria last year, where he celebrated his last Christmas and New Year.
Jasmine talked about how special Gene Boyd was to her.
Rene, the father, recalls that he and Gene Boyd epitomizes the line: like father, like son.
"I sing, he sings. I dance, he dances. I take photos, he takes photos. But why did he die when I'm still alive?" Rene asked. "Maybe, this is God's way of telling us that He always gives but He sometimes gets."
At around 5 p.m., as the sun slipped behind trees and a cloud, Gene Boyd's casket was lowered to the ground.
The family expressed their heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported them and sympathized with them in this sorrowful moment of their lives.
After the coffin was covered with a concrete slab, Gene Boyd's siblings Dimple, Skippy, Ann-ann, and Tyrone released four sets of light blue and white balloons as their way of saying goodbye to their "Kuya Bubuy".
(November 20, 2004 issue)
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