Reporter
carisa.lee@cnc3.co.tt
Dozens of people gathered yesterday at the Brunton Avenue, Diego Martin home of the late Parmanan “Pancho” Yarna to pay their final respects and return the warmth he shared with them at his Port-of-Spain snackettes, to his grieving loved ones.
“Every single day we will continue to celebrate him, with every meal, every drink, every cheer, he will always be in our hearts,” a family friend identified as Anderson said.
Anderson remembered Pancho as a man who had the heart of a lion, but the soul of an angel. And the proof, he said, was in the number of people who showed up to bid him farewell.
“The name Pancho’s was not just a food establishment, it’s an institution, it’s a haven,” he said.
Among those also saying farewell were Justice Minister Devesh Maharaj and Port-of-Spain Mayor Chinua Alleyne, who described Pancho as one of the most beloved figures in the capital city for several decades.
He said the PoS City Council will discuss how it can honour him and his legacy at its next caucus.
Those who were unable to attend the service shared their memories of the 72-year-old on social media.
Nadine Ann Marie Arlene said, “Uncle Pancho was one of a kind. He treated people like people and was always pleasant and welcoming.”
Karlene Dennis recalled how he treated her daughter when they stopped by his Queen and Edward Streets restaurant for breakfast.
“This man was so nice to my daughter. Every morning, he will make her eggs fresh and hot on the spot, how she likes it,” she shared.
While for the last 42 years, he remained dedicated to his snackette and its customers, he found a way to ensure his loved ones did not feel left out.
His grandniece, Varesha Samlal, said he always looked out for his family, and to his sister, he could do no wrong.
“He was their raja, he always said that he felt blessed to have a wonderful family and was proud of all of his nieces and nephews and their accomplishments. He was the beloved uncle and granduncle and had a nickname for all of us,” she said as she revealed hers as Jackie-Lal.
She remembered that less than three months ago, Pancho woke up at 5.30 am to help with the eulogy for his sister, her grandmother.
His granddaughter, Janessa Yarna, remembered Pancho’s playful nature and how, for every birthday, he would stick her face in her cake.
“He will always have something to say back or always nudge or pinch, but regardless of that, he always made sure that I was spoiled and loved and knew that I was his princess or prettiest girl ever,” Janessa said.
Pancho was born on November 17, 1953, in Debe, to a farming family. During the eulogy, Samlal explained that he was the fifth of 13 children. The origin of his nickname, Pancho, came from the Hindu word “panch” which means five in Sanskrit.
“From the time he was old enough, he joined his parents and siblings working the land, helping to provide for the family, and learning the value of hard work and responsibility,” she said.
At the age of 16, he left home and moved to Port-of Spain, living on Piccadilly Street, Belmont, and George Street. He got his first job at Jan’s Snackette on Queen Street, and the rest was history.
“His goal was not only to sustain himself but to ensure that he could send money back to Debe to help his parents raise his siblings,” she shared.
Former minister of health and friend Terrence Deyalsingh highlighted how much his Indian culture made his snackette one of the best in the capital city.
“The values we brought on those ships are the values that Pancho lived in Trinidad and Tobago—hard work, dedication and sacrifice,” he said.
The hearse left Diego Martin for Mosquito Creek just after 10 am. The unofficial mayor of Port-of-Spain stopped by his Edward Street snackette with the accompanying sounds of Freetown Collective’s Take Me Home as he made his final journey before his cremation.
