By Rawle Toney

Exactly one week after reaching his demise, former Courts Pacesetters Basketball Club member, Kevin Worrell, was laid to rest following a funeral service at the West Ruimveldt Wesleyan Church yesterday.
The 21-year-old Agricola resident will always be remembered for his charismatic and respectable attitude according to those who knew him.

The final pass! Players of the Courts Pacesetters Basketball Club toss a basketball over the body of Kevin Worrell who passed away last Saturday in a knock-out competition at the outdoor Burnham basketball Court. (Lawrence Fanfair photo)

Basketball players from various clubs in and around city were overcome with emotion as they paid their last respects.

Support came from as far Linden, with the Victory Valley Royals and the Kashif and Shanghai Kings basketball clubs making the journey to Georgetown to say goodbye.

The player’s death finally hit home to his  teammates as many, with tears in their eyes, were heard saying… “now we believe he’s dead.”

His mother Rhonda Johnson stood speechless and motionless as she stared at her son’s remains.

After Leaving the Burnham Basketball Court, where Worrell collapsed and died last Saturday afternoon, his body was taken to the West Ruimveldt Wesleyan Church for the funeral service.

The Church was filled to capacity as many of his friends and relatives gathered to say their final goodbye.

Worrell was last employed as a Custom broker at Laparkan Trading Limited and his former employers described him as a jolly and respected person who had a very good working relationship with the other employees.

But many persons were more touched by the tributes coming from the Courts Pacesetters Basketball Club and the Georgetown Basketball Association (GABA).

Denis Clarke, Chairman of the Courts Pacesetters Basketball club along with GABA president Trevor Rose, tearfully declared how much Worrell would be missed as a player and as a friend.

Clarke said that he had known Worrell ever since he first started playing the sport and had known him to be one of the most respected players amongst the senior and junior players at the club.

“This is a young man who would call and say, `coach I will be late, coach I can’t make it to practice, coach I reach home’ and people like that only come around once.”

Rose said that the loss of Worrell would certainly be a big blow not only to his club and family, but also to the local basketball fraternity.

He mentioned that Worrell always wanted to challenge him in a game of one-on-one and how strong of a competitor he was.

The day’s sermon was done by Reverend Ivan Williams who called on youths to live closer to God.

Worrell’s body was later laid to rest at the Le Repentir Cemetery.