As the nation rings in the New Year, 2013 will always be remembered by those whose lives were touched by the notable Guyanese who passed away this year.
Stabroek News reflects on the lives of some of those who served as educators, police officers, pandits and parliamentarians whose contributions have left an indelible impact on many.
January 15: Former GuySuCo Director John Bart A.A. passed away at the age of 79.
Bart, a former estate manager, also served as a GuySuCo Director, a Director of the Institute of Private Enterprise Development and as Manager of the Guyana National Industrial Corporation.
April 4: Former Minister of Education Dale Bisnauth passed away at the age of 76. He became minister in October 1992, on the accession of the PPP/C to office and held the portfolio until March 2001. Bisnauth subsequently served in the Bharrat Jagdeo administration. In recent years, he had also served as Chairman of the Board of Industrial Training and as the Associate General Secretary for the Caribbean Conference of Churches. He was the serving pastor of the Guyana Presbyterian Church at the time of his death.
April 12: Thousands mourned the passing of founder of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (GHDS) and longstanding PPP/C stalwart, Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud. He was 77 years old. A former PPP Member of Parliament for over 50 years, who served at various times as the Chief Whip, Deputy Speaker, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Chairman of the Constitution Reform Select Committee and Leader of the House, Persaud was at one time considered a potential successor of the late President, Dr Cheddi Jagan.
In the last 20 years or so, he had been widely credited as being the visionary behind the annual Deepavali motorcades which attracted large crowds each year.
July 30: Former People’s National Congress member and Minister of Works and Transportation, Steve Naraine passed away in Canada. He was in his 80s.
July 31: Businessman Asad Ishoof passed away in Florida at the age of 68. Ishoof built a business in the agricultural sector that encompassed fertilizers, agro-products, machinery and engineering and technology applications.
The Albion-born Ishoof had been one of the founding officers and a captain of the Guyana Defence Force. He was a graduate of the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, UK.
August 21: After a long illness, former Chairman of the Guyana Sugar Corporation Harold Davis passed away in his sleep at his New Market Street home. He was 88. When the sugar company was nationalized in 1976, Davis was sworn in as its first chairman. He had worked previously with the corporation when it was then named Bookers Sugar Estates Limited, from 1959. He served as chairman until his retirement in 1990.
That same year, Davis was installed as Pro Chancellor at the University of Guyana and served from then until 1998. He also served as chairman at the Guyana and Trinidad Mutual Fire and Life Insurance Company until he retired from the post last year due to ill health. Davis was bestowed with the Cacique’s Crown of Honour in 1980.
August 22: Former Attorney General, Minister of Legal Affairs and Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Doodnauth Singh, SC, passed away at the age of 80.
August 29: Veteran politician and founder member of the People’s National Congress (PNC) Margaret Ackman-John passed away in New York, USA at age 82. She had served as a Member of Parliament from 1969 to 1980; Parliamentary Secretary in the Prime Minister’s office from 1973 to 1980; and was the government’s Chief Whip from 1969 to 1973.
September 1: Jean Pollard, one of the country’s premier florists died at the age of 82. Born in Jamaica she had owned and operated the World of Flowers since 1971.
In an interview with the Stabroek Business the Jamaican-born Jean had said flowers were more than just a business; it was a labour of love, an entrepreneurial pursuit born of the influence of flowers as a child growing up in Jamaica. “My mother was always passionate about flowers,” Jean told Stabroek Business.
September 27: Former Deputy Mayor of Georgetown Herbert ‘Herbie’ Harper passed away at the age of 89.
Harper was an ex-Royal Air Force Serviceman, General Manager of GRECO and Manager of Guyana Stores Limited.
October 5: Former Justice Kenneth Barnwell has passed away at the age of 85.
October 22: Philanthropist Harry Saran Ramsaroop whose name had become synonymous with the Dharm Shala ‘Home of Benevolence for all races’ passed away at the age of 97.
The Dharm Shala located at Lot 140 King Edward and Sussex Streets, Albouystown, was founded by his father Pandit Ramsaroop Maraj in 1921 and is one of the longest existing charities. Harry Ramsaroop took over the running of the home on the death of his father in 1950. He is best remembered for his selfless giving to the old, poor and needy. Harry Ramsaroop also engaged with the Ministry of Education to expand the charity’s kindergarten and undertook to have a dispensary built to serve the residents of the home.
December 7: Veteran educator and former Assistant Chief Education Officer Dr Maude Bullen-McKenzie lost her battle with diabetes at age 69. She is best remembered for her stern “no nonsense” approach to life by her co-workers, friends and family. Hailing from Buxton on the East Coast of Demerara, she was also an ardent women’s rights activist often urging young women to take jobs that were male-dominated.
December 13: Assistant Commissioner of Police and Commander of ‘A’ Division Derrick Josiah died suddenly at the Woodlands Hospital where he had gone for a medical check-up for injuries he sustained in a vehicular accident in mid-November. He is remembered by colleagues as the person who demonstrated to the public the “human side” of the Guyana Police Force; bridging a gap in the civilian/police relationship.
December 23: Proprietor of the former Margarita Gift Shop on Middle Street, Louis Narain passed away.
December 24: On Christmas Eve, Chief Librarian of the National Library Gillian Thompson died in a horrific accident while travelling in the institution’s vehicle. At the time of the accident, Thompson was on her way to distribute Christmas gifts to staffers and friends and had planned thereafter to go shopping.
Having worked at the National Library for 22-years, Thompson was promoted to the position of the Chief Librarian nine years ago. The Ministry of Education in a tribute described her as, “A consummate professional who dedicated her time, energy, and professional training in library science towards the advancement of reading in Guyana, Gillian would be dearly missed not only by her family, but by her colleagues and friends at the National Library and those from within the education fraternity.”
December 25: Prominent Berbice attorney Senior Counsel Marcel Crawford died on Christmas Day at the Anamayah Memorial Hospital following a heart attack. He was 77. The only Senior Counsel in Berbice, Crawford is remembered by fellow Berbicians as a very generous person who gave much support to the children’s home in Berbice.
A popular horse racing fan and the owner of a few race horses, Crawford also served as a teacher at the Kildonan Scots School. For a brief period, he was also a national cycling champion. Crawford travelled to England in August 1960 with the intention of pursuing medicine and enrolled at Westminster College in London. In April 1961, he decided to pursue the law instead, and enrolled at the Lincoln Inn in London. In June 1964 he was admitted to the Bar in England. He practised in Trinidad and Tobago before returning to Guyana.
