Famed balata artist George Tancredo dead, fans pay tribute

George Tancredo

Balata craftsman and former primary school teacher George Tancredo of Nappi Village, Central Rupununi, who was known for seizing attention with his beautifully created pieces, died on October 30, following a tragic accident.

Speaking with The Scene, Tancredo’s grandson, Darius Joseph, explained that about 1 pm on that dreadful Friday, his grandfather was on his farm with his wife when a tree fell on him. Joseph, who is currently in the city, could not say for sure how it was that the tree fell.

Tancredo was removed from the scene of the accident by a nephew. He died before he could be transported to the hospital and was buried the following day. He was 74 years old.