Dear Editor,
When I learnt of the passing of Leon Dundas, the first reaction and that of my family was a feeling of sadness and pain.
By every measure Leon was a citizen of vintage quality. His life was a personification of devotion and excellence.
His loyalty and service to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana can be best described as enduring and monumental.
I remember Leon serving as General Manager of the Guyana Rice Board in the vast East Berbice area at a time when Oscar Clarke was the Regional Minister. His stewardship there was recognized both by the Government and the Community.
His calm, efficient and effective management witnessed an increase in rice production coupled with an improvement in quality.
The East Berbice region he managed included the new and massive Black Bush Polder Scheme.
We who looked at the way he operated described his management as meaningful and masterful.
His good humour coupled with his penchant for justice and hard work saw us through difficult times.
For me, Leon was a friend that could be trusted and these days reliable trusted friendship, is a rare jewel. In fact, this is an appropriate description of Leon.
My wife, shortly after she was introduced to Leon, like the rest of us, fell in love with him to such an extent that when we looked around for a Godfather for our daughter Jubilante Deo Sundiata, there was consensus and ready agreement that her Godfather should be Leon.
As she grew older, the way she talked of and thought of Leon justified his being her Godfather.
Our last visit to Leon was in the February snow this year. Jenny and I accompanied by his God-daughter were happy to make the journey to be by his bedside.
We talked old times and up till then Leon retained his elephantine memory as we recall both halcyon days and challenging times.
They say the success of a great man depends on him having at his side a good, loving and dependable wife.
Our sister, Myrtle was such a wife. That was Leon’s good fortune and wisdom of selection many years ago, but we must credit Leon with having a keen eye for beauty and the ability to pick the best of the crop.
She was that solid rock. She never wavered, never shrunk from her responsibility even when he was not his usual robust active self. It would be unimaginable to pay this tribute to a good and great guy without reference to his life-long partner Myrtle.
To her, we say be strong, God knows best and you know she will be saying fondly ‘good-bye, till we meet again.’
I ask that we listen to what I believe Leon would have whispered during his transition from earth to eternity; I borrowed from Khalil Gibran:
Sing of the past as you behold the dawn of hope in my eyes, for
Its magic meaning is a soft bed upon which my heart rests.
Dry your tears, my friends and raise your heads as the flowers
Raise their crowns to greet the dawn.
Look at the bride of death standing like a column of light
Between my bed and the infinite;
Hold your breath and listen with me to the beckoning rustle of
Her white wings.
May his soul rest in peace and rise in glory.
Farewell my brother, Farewell our friend, and Jubie joins by saying Farewell my Godfather.
Yours faithfully,
Hamilton Green OR JP
