WHEN people said Alma Karanauskienė’s ‘light was special’ it goes some way to explaining how her death on Wednesday November 12th was such a dark day for her family, her friends, and the people of Skibbereen.

In 2008, when Alma came to West Cork from Lithuania most people got to know her as the ever-smiling waitress at the West Cork Hotel, and subsequently working in her own clothing store, before, more recently, turning her kind attentions to customers at the pharmacy at Drinagh in Skibbereen.

Alma was, of course, a wife, mother, daughter, sister, granddaughter, relative, and friend to many, and they concur: ‘In our hearts we feel as if we have lost a part of ourselves.’

A tribute to Alma described her so eloquently: ‘Her light was special. She knew how to brighten even the darkest day and her smile, gentleness and kindness touched everyone who knew her. She was a person who shared her love quietly but strongly, so that there was enough for everyone around her.’

Family members, who are in deep shock, spoke of their ‘immeasurable pain and endless sorrow’ saying: ‘Today, it seems that our brightest day has faded and the darkest night has come.’

Following requiem mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral on Saturday, the family expressed their heartfelt gratitude for ‘every message, every gesture of kindness, every prayer, every warm embrace, and every bit of strength you shared with us. Your care, your presence, and your compassion has carried us through moments we never thought we could endure.

‘We are profoundly grateful,’ they said, ‘for the love and support that surround our dear Alma. She loved people with her whole heart: gently, sincerely, and unconditionally.

‘She had a way of seeing goodness in others, of offering kindness even in silence, and of making everyone around her feel valued and understood. Knowing that she was loved by so many brings us comfort that words can hardly express.’