Family, friends, bid late entertainer farewell

Entertainer Sharon Darlington-Alleyne was remembered as a “charming, colourful, loving and caring personality who carried beauty, strength, grace and power with her talent”, as family and friends gathered at the chapel of the Lyndhurst Funeral Home to bid her farewell on Tuesday afternoon.

Darlington lost her battle with cancer recently.

During the service, which was kept quiet and short in accordance with the late singer’s wishes, fellow entertainer Rhesa Garnes described Darlington as “the girl next door, a sweet woman who was always having fun”, someone who made the best pastries and encouraged her in her singing career.

“She always wanted to be on stage, and even when she was near the end she still wanted to share that passion. For many years during her career she was torn between going further as a singer and ensuring she was there for her son,” Garnes said. Family friend Samuel Carter said that while he did not know Darlington for very long, he visited her at home and in hospital several times when she was ill, and “she helped me understand how to show compassion to terminally ill people”.

“From what I saw, she was in her right mind all along, even in the final stages of her life, and was very happy if you bought for her some of the items she requested – like golden apples and tamarinds,” he said.

During his sermon, Reverend John Carter, who said he was part of a “task force” Darlington’s family commissioned when she first became ill, reminded the congregation to commit themselves to God as Darlington had done later in life.

“We must all remember that God loves us regardless of who we are, and bear in mind the fact that He sacrificed His own Son so that we could be delivered from our sins. We must also realise that no matter how successful we become in life, without God, we are nothing,” he said.

Pastor Sheldon Butcher of the Mapp Hill Seventh Day Adventist Church said Darlington had been following a series of meetings that church was holding just prior to her passing, and had committed her life to God as a result of that.

He remembered her as “a very charming person who really lived up to her surname, truly a darling, and she inspired many people over the years”.

Darlington’s body will be cremated in a private ceremony to be held at a later date. (DH)