Family, friends mourn Alexia Trim – law student hailed for her humility, strength

Mourners leave messages of love for Alexia Trim on a board posted at the entrance of the St Francis of Assisi RC Church, Belmont. - Photos by Janelle De Souza.

UWI law student Alexia Trim was described as ambitious, intelligent, humble, creative, resilient, loyal, kind, and many other positive descriptors at her funeral at St Francis of Assisi RC Church in Belmont on November 15.

Trim, 23, died in Colombia, where she had been receiving medical treatment on October 22, one day before she was due to collect her Bachelor of Laws degree with first-class honours at UWI’s St Augustine. She had a condition known as arteriovenous malformation, an abnormal tangle of blood vessels that could cause bleeding in the brain.

During the eulogy, written by her mother, Marsha Trim, and read by two of her friends, Marsha spoke about the joys of her birth and the development of a daughter who “handled herself with grace and dignity.”

She said Trim started having health challenges in 2024 and that persisted throughout her exams the next year. Still, she looked forward to her graduation and attending law school, but that was not to be.

With the help of an assistant, Fr Mikkel Trestrail blesses the casket of Alexia Trim during the reception of the body at her funeral at the St Francis of Assisi RC Church, Belmont on November 15.

“Her sister asked me recently if I would do it again, knowing what the outcome would be, and I am happy I said, ‘Yes.’”

Numerous friends and former teachers shared memories of and paid tribute to Trim.

Lisa Rodriguez, one of her former St Joseph’s Convent teachers, said Trim became like a daughter to her over the years.

“This tribute is not about her brilliance and excellence in the classroom; her achievements through the numerous trophies, regional placements, and open scholarships speak to that. Today is about honouring Lexi, whose life radiated a light that could only have come from God Himself. She was a living testimony of faith, of humility, of quiet strength, of how to remain calm in every circumstance and how to surrender your heart and life completely to God.

“She endured without bitterness and never uttered a word of complaint, always with a beautiful smile on her face. She lived with purpose, and I can honestly say I do not think anyone who interacted with her would not have admired and loved her, a rare person in today's world.”

Dr Timothy Affonso, deputy dean in the Faculty of Law, said Trim was not a typical student as she was civic-minded, and taught the faculty and her fellow students that they should ensure their presence made a positive difference.

Delivering the homily, Fr Mikkel Trestrail said a few days before her trip to Colombia, Trim told him she was a peace with going.

The car park of St Francis of Assisi RC Church in Belmont was packed with the vehicles of mourners at the funeral of Alexia Trim on November 15.

“We did not know that that would lead to her death. We thought this was going to lead to staying on with us and being even better than before. But it has ended here in her passing, and we have now been left to grieve.”

He said Trim’s death transformed many of those present at the funeral, as it left a hole in their hearts and souls. He compared the mourners to lumps of dough being transformed into donuts, saying they had to learn to live with and appreciate their new state.

“But the good news of the gospel is that her love and the love of Christ live on. But as the first reading said today, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, not even death. And so because of that, we understand that that is the one who is going to help us appreciate that love and to appreciate that space inside of us, that through the grace and power of Christ, that death cannot destroy, that even though our sister is gone from this world, she will never be gone from our hearts.”

Fr Mikkel Trestrail of St Francis of Assisi RC Church likened mourners to donuts, as Trim’s passing left a hole in their hearts.

Trestrail even referred to the Harry Potter books and stated that the main character asked why his parents had to die. Harry’s teacher, Prof Dumbledore, said the love of his mother left an invisible mark on him, which protected him.

So too, Trestrail said, Trim’s love left a mark on them, foreshadowing the love of Christ, which would protect their hearts and souls in their journey through life.

He, therefore, encouraged those present to deepen their relationship with God, as it will help them through the grief they face.

“The reality is that the only place she will live on now is in our hearts and in God's Kingdom, but the love of Christ will hold us. The love of Christ will carry us.”