Stabroek News reflects today on the lives of notable Guyanese who passed away during the year.
January 23- Former PNC minister and educator, Dr Faith Harding, passed on after a period of illness. She was 67 years old and her death stunned those who knew her and they eulogized her as larger than life and someone who walked the talk. The educator and humanitarian was lauded by her son Patrick Harding Jnr as a woman who gave her life for her people. He said his mother was completely dedicated to raising the bar and achieving all she wanted. “I thought that if I was ten per cent of the person she was I would have won,” he stated, noting that she was not only his mother but a mother to one million people.
Harding was also an advocate for the rights of women and children, suicide prevention, and LGBT rights. She was heavily involved in counselling cases of domestic violence, abuse and rape. Throughout the years, Harding, had been involved in a number of initiatives, including the One Billion Rising Campaign and her own Quick Impact Programme (QIP). Among other initiatives, the latter entailed the planting of sorrel in small communities for export. She also worked with the UN, serving in East Timor, Liberia and Sudan. It had been speculated that just before her passing Harding was preparing to re-enter politics at a senior level.
February 9- Trade union stalwart Leslie Melville died in Maryland, United States. He served the trade union movement here for over fifty years. The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) said that he served as General Secretary, Education Officer and Consultant of the Guyana Public Service Union, Principal Assistant Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress, Registrar of the Critchlow Labour College, GPSU Representative on the Public Service Appellate Tribunal and Commissioner of the Public Service Commission. “He was not only a great Trade Unionist but also a great Guyanese who was honoured with a National Award, the Golden Arrowhead of Achievement”, the GPSU declared.
February 19 – Former Chairman of President’s College and the then Guyana Broadcasting Corporation David deGroot died at a city hospital after a period of illness. The 76-year-old was also Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Guyana Chronicle and was active in the affairs of the state-owned newspaper up to the time of his demise.
February 18- Veteran Barrister-at-law and former Director of the then Sugar Producers Association Paul “Eddie” Fredericks passed away. Fredericks played an active role in the sugar industry during the early 60s as Guyana was preparing for its transition to independence from colonization. He was also an active Justice of the Peace and at one time the Honorary Consul General for The Netherlands.
March 4- Another fighter for sugar workers, Albert Bhoodoo who was also the Former President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) died in New York at the age of 72. His contributions were hailed by the union who said he displayed “courage, consistency and firm leadership” in the struggle for the recognition of GAWU in the sugar belt as it replaced the Man Power Citizens’ Association. He has made a worthwhile contribution to the betterment of workers which had earned him their respect, they also stated. According to a press release from GAWU, Boodhoo also served in the Executive Committee of the Guyana Trades Union Congress and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana, and represented GAWU at several workers’ forums in Guyana and overseas.
March 10- Activist Courtney Crum-Ewing, 40, was shot dead in the New Diamond Housing Scheme as he was urging residents to vote against the incumbent PPP/C at the May 11th elections. He was shot five times, including three times to the head. For weeks prior to his death, Crum-Ewing had held a one-man protest outside the office of the then Attorney-General Anil Nandall’s office to press for his resignation over statements he made during a telephone conversation with a Kaieteur News reporter that was made public.
Police, who had been under constant pressure to produce results, due to Crum-Ewing’s prominent activism against the former PPP/C administration, announced that charges were laid against Regan `Grey Boy’ Rodrigues, the man at whose home a gun, linked to the murder was found.
Crum–Ewing was remembered by his family and friends as a principled and disciplined man who loved family and was also kindhearted and gave to those in need freely.
March 21- Well-known caterer and historian of the Chinese movement in Guyana, Margery Kirkpatrick passed away at the age of 76 years old. Reflecting on the years he spent with his wife, Dougal Kirkpatrick described a woman who had a passion for life and loved giving to the needy. “She was the kindest person I know and loved dedicating her time to charity…my wife did so much charitable work that many persons don’t know about because she didn’t speak of the things she did for anyone,” he said.
Margery Kirkpatrick spoke no Chinese and had only been to China once, in November of 2012, but she was always proud of the contributions her ancestors made to the building of Guyana. She was the Deputy President of the Chinese Association here for many years until her resignation from the post last year.
In 2012 she wrote an autobiographical account of growing up in British Guiana. The book, The Way We Were – Memories of a Childhood in British Guiana, chronicled the Chinese experience in the then colony, through the eyes of Kirkpatrick, a third-generation Chinese girl growing up in the mixed society of the 1940s.
April 16 – Popular Hardware store owner Farouk Hamid was found stabbed to death at his Lot 97 Collingwood Avenue, Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara home by his wife in the morning of April 17th 2015. Two persons have since been charged with his murder. The Hamson’s General Store owner will be remembered for the active role he played in interacting with and assisting his customers.
May 4- Guyana’s first world boxing champion Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis’ life was snuffed out when he was killed by a speeding motor vehicle as he rode his bicycle on the East Bank Demerara Public Road. The 44-year-old former World Boxing Association welterweight champion will be most remembered for placing Guyana in the annals of boxing for his knockout win against American James Page in 2001. And while he lived a life of glamour and lavished in his winnings from that fight, Lewis was remembered for also donating to the poor in his impoverished hometown of Albouystown, in Georgetown. A boxing gymnasium is named in his honour in the said community.
August 15- Past President of the Guyana Heritage Society and a champion for the preservation of Guyanese heritage Christobel Hughes’ life also came to an abrupt end by vehicular accident. The founder of Women Reaching Out died while receiving treatment at a city hospital after a drunk driver crashed into the Nissan X-Trail her son, Stuart Hughes, was driving causing the vehicle to roll near Pike and Lamaha streets, Kitty. A member of many other organizations and committees, including the Guyana Association of Administrative Professionals, she was remembered as a woman of action who shepherded change in many arenas and left behind a legacy that will live on for years to come. One of her favourite quotes, according to her son, Nigel Hughes, was “Exegi monumentum aere perennius,” which means, “I have built a monument more lasting than bronze.”
August 16 – Businessman Sultan Rahaman passed away in Orlando, Florida at the age of 86. Rahaman, formerly of No.78 Village, Corentyne, was the founder and Chairman of Baracara Quarries and Guyana Sawmill Inc. He was also a founder member and Deputy President of the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana, a former member of the Board of Directors of GGMC and a former Director of CAGI.
August 28 – Sign artist Andrew Juman’s sudden demise from a heart attack, at the age of 46, left the art society in shock.
Juman was well known for his creative pieces at GuyExpo and the annual Deepavali Motorcade. He was also known for his artistic input and opulent sets created for the annual Naya Zamana productions. One of his passions was working to preserve and foster Indian cultural traditions and to heighten awareness about them.
Most likely you would have seen one of Juman’s creations, although you might not have known it was done by him.
September 5- Former Chief Physician and one of the founders of the Medical Arts Centre Frank Middleton Warner Williams died at the age of 98. The arts enthusiast was described by Professor Nigel Harris as “a man for all seasons ‒ physician, healer, intellectual, quiet champion for justice, journeyman for integrity and fair play”.
Williams, who had roots in Buxton, East Coast Demerara, had served the medical profession for over half a century and was described by many as an intellectual who not only thrived in the medical field but had a love for the arts, politics and knowledge.
September 7- Veteran journalist Ursulla Ramdyal was mourned by the media fraternity who said her death should be used as a catalyst for closer relationships between media personnel as many had lost touch with her in months prior to her death. Nonetheless, GPA heralded her work saying it did not go unnoticed.
Ramdayal’s career with the media started at the Guyana Chronicle where she was a proofreader from 1996 until 2009. She also served as a freelance writer for the Sunday edition of the Guyana Chronicle and as a legal clerk/secretary to the programme manager of the then Guyana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC). Her posts also included freelance announcer/operator/producer for the GBC and trainee operator/video editor at Channel 12. She also served as the editor of Video Production and the Programme Producer of CNS 6 where she later became a news editor, anchor and producer. She would later move to the Evening News at VCT Channel 28, where she was a senior reporter and newsroom editor and then to GWTV Channel 2 where she served as the editor-in-chief. Her last post was communications officer at the Government Information Agency in 2011 where she remained until July 2015.
September 19- Six months after his wife Margery passed on, Chief Executive Officer of Professional Guard Service (PGS) Dougal Kirkpatrick also died. He was 75 years old.
Describing him as a “helpful and kind” person who would always give advice when needed, his son Sean said his father was the founding member of the Guyana Association of Private Security Organizations (GAPSO) and GEB Security Service in addition to being the head of PGS and the owner of Kirkpatrick’s Catering Service.
Sean told this newspaper that his father was a strong advocate for people living with HIV/AIDS and often worked alongside Artistes in Direct Support. “He believed strongly that people with HIV should be respected and cared for,” he said. Kirkpatrick, he added was very charitable and loved his family.
October 2- Longest-serving commissioner of the Guyana Elections Commission, Dr Keshav ‘Bud’ Mangal succumbed to kidney failure he had been battling for a while, at the age of 78.
Family and friends remembered him as a man larger than life who valued simple things and was not caught up with materialism .A display of photos at his funeral which chronicled Mangal’s life has also made it clear that he had a connection with nature and a passion for fishing. Numerous photos featured him flashing a winsome smile.
The children of his friends recalled his hospitality and the fact that they did not come to know his name was Keshav Mangal until later in life as they knew him as “Buddy”—a name he was known by to many. “Because he was a buddy to everyone and was liked by everyone,” Senior Counsel Moen McDoom, who served with Mangal on the elections commission and has been his friend for over 40 year, had said.
October 2- Cricketer and cricket administrator George Stephen Camacho died of cancer at the age of 69 while living in Antigua. The West Indies Cricket Board in its tribute hailed him as a true stalwart, champion and leader of the game in the West Indies. “I want to first extend my condolences to wife, Allison, family and friends of Steve Camacho. We, the members of the cricket family of the West Indies, have lost a great man, someone who would always stand up and give his best for West Indies cricket. He was a true stalwart and champion of the game in the Caribbean,” President of the WICB Dave Cameron had said. After retirement as a player, he was manager of the West Indies team during the halcyon period of the 1980s. He also served as secretary of the then West Indies Cricket Board of Control and the first CEO of the WICB.
October 7- Former senior lecturer at the University of Guyana Cyril Solomon died in Atlanta though his body was brought home for his funeral and interment. He served at UG from 1974 to 2012 as Head of the Department of Economics, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Director of the Graduate School and Chairman of the Board of Graduate Studies. Solomon also served as the Chief Examiner for the CXC and CAPE examinations and Chairman of the Guyana Water Inc. Board. In 2011 he was awarded the Golden Arrow of Achievement Award.
October 27 – Well known human rights activist Zenita Nicholson took her own life after constant struggles with depression. She was remembered for the contributions she made to helping others, though no one knew she too needed help. Nicholson for many years volunteered with the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD). In 2014, the United States Embassy here, in recognition of her works, presented her with the Woman of Courage Award. She was also the Country Coordinator for the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities/PANCAP Global Round 9 Vulnerable Groups Project at the time of her death.
November 1- Swami Vidyanandaji Maharaj of the Cove and John Ashram passed on in the United States at age 79 but was brought home for cremation. He was remembered as a holy man who influenced everyone who he came into contact with positively, as hundreds flocked the Cove and John Ashram to pay their last respects. The crowd of devotees, schoolchildren, dignitaries, and others sat on the lawns of the Ashram as they recollected the swami’s contributions and influence towards society.
November 2- Former High Commissioner to Canada and longtime history teacher at Queen’s College and the University of Guyana, Robert James Moore died in Ottawa where he lived. He was 83. Moore studied History at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica and later returned to Guyana where he taught at Queen’s College.
He left teaching to complete his Master’s at Cambridge University and then his PhD at the University of Sussex but returned on completion and was head of the History Department at the University of Guyana. “He was very popular among the teachers and students. He encouraged students to get involved in various activities and so forth. I remember it was him who started debating at QC he always wanted involvement,” his friend and former co-worker Winston Gowan had said.
After teaching at UG for some years Moore left Guyana for Ottawa, Canada where he was appointed High Commissioner to that country under the Forbes Burnham government. When that assignment ended he continued to live in Canada.
November 9- Veteran petrol dealer and owner of Steve’s Texaco/ Rubis Service Station on Vlissengen Road, Steve Chung died at home of a heart attack at age 79.
His wife Sharon Mohan remembered her husband as a humble man who fell in love with Facebook and his favourite pastime during the day was to update his posts and also read those posted by his friends. “He was very down to earth, so kind and loving. He loved Facebook he would be checking all the time,” she fondly reflected.
Mohan pointed out that Chung, who liked to be called ‘Big Steve’ also enjoyed camping and hunting and would cook his traditional Chinese meals often.
November 15- Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security Angela Johnson died at a city hospital after a brief period of illness. Described as a public service stalwart, having given service to the country for many years, Johnson is most remembered for her work as Permanent Secretary. She took up the post in the then Home Ministry in the early 2000s and was holding the position at the time of her death.
Johnson testified before the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the public service and had emphasized that the absence of political interference is key to a proper-functioning public sector. Johnson said public servants serve the people. Governments come and governments go based on the electorate, she said, but public servants have rules to follow irrespective of the government. For this reason, Johnson said that permanent secretaries should not get involved in political issues.
She is remembered by her son, Guyana Defence Force Major Clint Johnson, as a woman dedicated to her work but who loved family. “Mommy was the most loving person. She cared for people, genuinely cared for people and was always looking to help,” he had told Stabroek News.
November 21- Veteran journalist Mohamed Rashid Osman died suddenly at his Bent Street, Wortmanville home. He was 78. Osman worked in both the broadcast and print media and was at one point Editor of the Guyana Chronicle. Up to the time of his death, he was serving as an Assistant Editor of the Sunday edition of Guyana Chronicle. He was also well-known for his radio programme, ‘Mid-Morning Classics,’ which he had started in the 1970s and recently revived. His wife Yvonne had told this newspaper that Osman had a passion for the arts and on Friday he even covered the launch of the National Drama Festival at the National Cultural Centre.
