BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Mar. 24, 2022– This past weekend, the children of renowned Belizean writer Zelma “Zee” Edgell and Alvin “Al” Edgell celebrated the lives of their parents with a funeral service held at Holy Redeemer Parish on Saturday and a trip on Sunday to English Caye, where their ashes were scattered in the nearby sea. Zee—one of Belize’s most internationally acclaimed authors, who penned the novels Beka Lamb and In Times like These, among others—passed away on Sunday, December 20, 2020, in her home in St. Louis, Missouri, at the age of 80 after having battled with leukemia. Her husband, Alvin, with whom she raised two children—Holly and Randall—passed away in May of that year.
The funeral service held on Sunday saw numerous friends, family members, and fans in attendance, with Lisa M Shoman delivering Zee Edgell’s eulogy and Mr. Owen “Sonny” Meighan reading the eulogy of Alvin Edgell. After the mass, some of Zee and Al’s ashes were interred at the Lord Ridge Cemetery, while on Sunday the remainder was scattered into the Caribbean Sea.
Zee Edgell was not only a novelist but an educator as well—having taught at Saint Catherine Academy from 1966 to 1968. During those years, she also became the founding editor of The Reporter and married Alvin Edgell, who had been working with the international developmental organization Save The Children. The two would go on to share a happy marriage for 50 years.
Zee’s book, Beka Lamb, was written in 1982 and quickly gained international acclaim after winning Britain’s Fawcett Society Book Prize. The novel, the first novel published in a post-independence Belize, follows its titular character as she navigates the struggles of coming of age.
“On a warm November day, Beka Lamb won an essay contest at St. Cecilia’s Academy, situated not far from the front gate of His Majesty’s Prison on Milpa Lane,” reads the first line. The winning of that essay contest is what goes on to change the life of the young Creole girl named Beka. And the family of Zee Edgell is hoping that they can similarly help to change the lives of young scholars. In memory of Zee and Al Edgell, the family is offering two scholarships to Belizean students. And as part of the application process, students will be asked to write an essay.
“In Beka Lamb, winning an essay contest marks an important turning point in the life of Beka. It’s with this in mind that my family is proud to announce the Zee & Al Edgell Memorial Scholarship,” announced Holly Edgell on social media. Since then, the family has been hard at work raising the funds needed to provide the scholarships. Anyone wishing to donate can do so by visiting https://gofund.me/ddfca87b.