A Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officer was yesterday pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) shortly after he had completed a game of squash.

Dead is 45-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Alonzo Hartley, Commander of 2 Infantry Battalion.

Lt Col Alonzo Hartley

In a press release, the GDF said that the officer had completed the game of squash at Camp Ayanganna and was on the way to his 78 Enterprise, East Coast Demerara home when he complained of feeling unwell. He was rushed to the GPH where he was pronounced dead.

Lt Col Hartley is survived by his wife Delicia Hartley, children Zonel and Dexter and other relatives.

“He was a kind, loving and adorable husband and father, and will greatly be missed by his wife and family,” the army said.

According to the release, Lt Colonel Hartley enlisted as an Officer Cadet in the GDF and completed the Standard Officers Course (SOC) 12 in 1982. He was promoted through the ranks, becoming Lt Colonel in January 2005. He is said to have completed several military courses locally and abroad and earned a Masters Degree in Military Operations in Brazil in 2004.