By RHONDOR DOWLAT Friday, October 16 2009

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FLASHBACK: International football star and assistant coach to the "Soca Warriors" Dwight Yorke relaxes with his mom, Grace, at a reception at Mt. Irvi...

GRACE Yorke, mother of local football star and former Soca Warrior player, Dwight Yorke passed away at the age of 70 on Wednesday night, minutes after she was airlifted from the Scarborough General Hospital, Tobago to the St Joseph Medical Associates hospital.

Newsday was told that Dwight was at her bedside when she passed on.

Efforts to reach Dwight for comment proved futile. However, when contacted Soca Warrior coach, Russell Latapy, said that Dwight was with him and that he was “not in a good mood to say anything at this time.”

A source close to Dwight said that it is not yet known what Yorke died from, but said that she was ailing for some time.

The source said that a week ago Yorke was taken to the doctor with symptoms of a flu for which she received treatment. He added that a few days later the decision was taken by the family to take her to the Scarborough hospital. The source added that after being there for 13 hours on Monday and being treated for the flu, a decision was taken again to have her flown to Trinidad for further treatment.

While undergoing treatment at Medical Associates and while awaiting test results, Yorke succumbed to her illness.

Yorke, was a hotel cleaner at one time, and her husband Fulton, a dustman, and together they had nine children, including Dwight, who was born on November 3 1971. Dwight is currently still in Trinidad with other family members making arrangements to have her body flown to Tobago for burial.