BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE nation’s manufacturing sector recently lost one of its leading pioneers in the person of Laurie Mezzalingua of Syracuse, New York, the Founder and President of Kajola-Kristada Ltd. in St. Kitts.
Mezzalingua, who had been suffering from breast cancer for almost 12 years, died at the age of 41 after advancing the cause for improved working conditions on the C. A. Paul Southwell Industrial Site. She also spent a great deal of her life promoting awareness of the disease to which she succumbed.
Her work on the island led to her family’s involvement with the Immaculate Conception Co-Cathedral and the two Catholic schools on St. Kitts. The family also funded a building to house a library and learning studies programmes, appropriately named ‘The Laurie Mezzalingua Education Centre’. Upon completion in 2011, the school is expected to have eight completed buildings together with tuition assistance.
Following an on-site memorial service on Friday (July 10), Kajola-Kristada General Manager Jose Rosa told SKNVibes that Mezzalingua made indelible contributions to St. Kitts through the manufacturing plant and her outstanding community involvement. He said her legacy of generosity and community work, especially for the underprivileged and terminally-ill, will live on at the Industrial Site and will continually inspire people to contribute meaningfully to the community.
“She was a founder and a pioneer, and has been involved tremendously in the community. In fact, the parents at this plant who have their children in the school always got the school paid for them.
“She was a very strong person. From the time that you met her, you knew that you were talking to a special person. Even in her last days she still had the spirit to continue to do good things in the lives of others,’” he recounted.
The private sector will certainly miss one of its leaders, according to the Head of the Caribbean Associations of Industry and Commerce, Carol Evelyn. He said Mezzalingua was very instrumental in lobbying for better working conditions for the industrial workers.
“Her passing means a lot to us because she has always been there. She brought better conditions of work to this place and elevated the benefits which were accessible on the industrial site. In fact, she did a lot of work bringing the ladies together and making them independent people,” Evelyn told this media house.
Nearing the end of the service, present and past executive directors and associates lit 41 candles, reminiscing on the life of Mezzalingua as they united in prayer and closed the ceremony with their theme ‘Everything she did was from her heart’.
