Hyacinth Avis Jennings

Hyacinth was born on August 23, 1931 in Manchester, Jamaica to Violet Elaine DaCosta and Rev. Roland Anthony DaCosta.

An excellent student, she said good bye to her parents at the tender age of seventeen to enroll in Bethlehem Teachers’ College in Malvern, Jamaica where she continued to excel.

She met her first husband, Eric Gabbidon while living and teaching in St. Anns Bay and they were married in 1955. Together she and Eric had two daughters, Aldine and Jacqueline, and even though their marriage ended in divorce, they shared a lifelong respect for each other. Eric pre-deceased her in 2016.

Hyacinth loved being a teacher and taught in both the elementary and secondary school systems in Jamaica. She served as Vice Principal of both Chetolah Park Primary School and Mona Preparatory School and was a Senior teacher and guidance counselor at Holy Childhood High School for Girls.

In 1979, Hyacinth migrated from Jamaica to Connecticut to pursue a Masters degree in Special Education. Upon graduation, she taught at the Oak Hill School in Hartford, CT, where she became a beloved teacher and caregiver for her multiply handicapped students. In order to give her all to her students, she learned sign language and to read Braille. She was never more delighted than when one of her students achieved a development milestone.

In 1993, Hyacinth married Sinclair Jennings and he also preceded her in death.

Hyacinth was an active member of Bloomfield United Methodist Church in Bloomfield, CT and held many positions within the church community. She served as Lay Minister, chair of the Evangelism committee, chair of the Pastor Parish Relations committee and loved being a part of the handbell choir. She was an advisor and confidant to the clergy and members alike. It was a standing joke that Hyacinth spent so much time at church that she could consider changing her address to the address of the church.

In 2016, Hyacinth relocated to Texas to be closer to her younger daughter. She quickly acclimated to her new home and found a church family at Custer Road United Methodist Church in Plano. In keeping with her character, she became an integral part of the church, her Sunday School class and as many activities as she could manage. Hyacinth moved to Houston with her daughter in 2018 due to a job transfer and to be expected, one of her first actions on moving was to find a church home. She joined St. Catherine Of Sienna Episcopal Church and before long, was inaugurated into the Daughters of The King.

Hyacinth and her daughter returned to the Dallas area in 2020 and settled in Frisco where she lived until her death.

To celebrate a life well lived are Hyacinth’s daughters: Aldine Gabbidon-Laney (and husband David), and Jacqueline Gabbidon. Her grandchildren Nichole Odame-Bamfo and Eric Fray were the joys of her life, and she shared wonderful bonds with each of them. She experienced the delight of seeing Nichole get married to CJ Odame-Bamfo and in later years, she burst with pride upon the births of her great grandchildren, Malachi Odame-Bamfo, aged 3 and Cayden Odame-Bamfo, aged 1. To add to her joy, she lived to witness the engagement of Eric to Amber Gipson.

She was preceded in death by siblings Lily Powell, Gloria Moncrieffe and Norman DaCosta. Comforted by their memories are her living siblings: Hermine Samuels, Kathleen Heron, Pansy Gibson, Molly Rhone, Lena Gilyard and Anthony DaCosta. Numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews all love and remember her as well as many friends both near and far.

A service to honor this amazing life will be held on Monday, November 11, 2024 at the Stonebriar Funeral Home, 10375 Preston Road, Frisco, TX. Visitation will be from noon to 2 pm with the service commencing promptly at 2 pm. There will be a reception immediately following the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital which is one of Hyacinth’s favorite charities.