Compiled By NAN Staff Writers
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. May 15, 2020: Some 7 dozen Guyanese immigrants in the U.S. and the UK have died from the novel coronavirus, News Americas has found.
Based on reports on social media, in local Guyana newspapers and the Facebook Page set up by the Guyana Consulate in New York: ‘Honoring Guyanese Lost To Coronavirus,’’ the NANN tally reached 80 Thursday, more than any other Caribbean nationals in the Diaspora to date.
Among the dead are:
William ‘Billy’ Braithwaite
William ‘Billy’ Braithwaite died on April 7, 2020 at the NY Presbyterian Hospital where he was hospitalized for just over a week. Braithwaite was a former president of Pele FC and the Georgetown Football League (GFL), now Georgetown Football Association (GFA), during the 70s and early 80s. He migrated with his family to the USA in 1981. He was the first elected secretary of the GFL, headed by former City Mayor, Kenneth Shortt, whom Braithwaite replaced as president in 1978. He worked at the Guyana Airways Corporation and later as a former Area Manager of BWIA, now Caribbean Airlines, and North American Airlines in NYC. He was 74.
Jim Bacchus
Jim Bacchus was the proprietor of Jim Bacchus Travel Service, which operated offices in Georgetown and New Amsterdam has passed away.
Bacchus, who had been a prominent figure in the local travel service industry especially with his service in New Amsterdam, passed away yesterday his grandson John Bacchus posted on his Facebook Page.
Wendell “Dragga” Manifold
Wendell “Dragga” Manifold was the former national Under-18 captain of the Pele FC, died at Brooklyn Downstate Hospital, from cardiac arrest, due to the Coronavirus on March 25, 2020. He was 65 and a former student of Charlestown Secondary School who migrated to the US in 1974.
Lee Nurse
Lee Nurse was a cricketer who played for Basingstoke and Finchampstead in the UK. He was 43 years old. He died at Basingstoke hospital, UK on April 9, 2020 with his son Rilee by his bedside.
Imam Hadji Zakir
Imam Hadji Zakir was a member of the The United Muslim Organization, and was also a notable personality on WPAT 930 AM, NY. He was formerly of Canal Number 2 and died at a nursing home in Queens at age 86.
Michael Gilkes
Michael Gilkes was a poet, actor, playwright, director, literary critic. He died in England at the age of 86 after three nights in the ICU on April 14, 2020. He was involved in theatre for more than 40 years, as a director, actor and playwright, winning the Guyana Prize for Drama in 1992 and 2006, as well as the Guyana Prize for Best Book of Poetry in 2002.
Iltab Hosein
Iltab Hosein, 77, was the former imam of Masjid Al Jama in Queens New York and formerly of the Nabaclis and Enmore communities, Guyana. He died on April 5, 2020 at Queens General Hospital. Hosein was also the former Iman of Nootenzuil Masjid. Before migrating 17 years ago, he held several positions, including that of a field foreman at the Enmore Sugar Estate and a former constable in the Guyana Police Forc,e (GPF). As a member of the GPF, he was stationed at the home of the former Commissioner Laurie Lewis until his migration. A devout Muslim, Hosein was said to be respected in his community, which he served as former Iman of Masjid Al Jama.
Albert James Jacobus
Albert James Jacobus also known as ‘Jack’ or Jimmy, was born in Kabakaburi Mission, Pomeroon, Essequibo, Guyana. He became a land surveyor and worked in Guyana as well as the BVI before migrating to the US and taking up a post also as a land surveyor for the Department of Design and Construction, Office of Land Surveying, City of New York. The Brooklyn, NY resident died from COVID on March 29, 2020.
George Watson
George Watson was 83 and was formerly of 54 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice. He died on April 3, days after he tested positive for COVID-19. Watson migrated about 38 years ago to the United States, where he continued to practice his trade as a joiner.
Here’s a full list of other Guyanese reportedly lost to the coronavirus pandemic:
Marc Callender, NYC political consultant
Oliver Cyrus, 61 Guyana-born, an MTA bus operator for 21 years, who lived in Brooklyn.
Dr. Earline Austin, formerly of Republic Ave. Linden, Guyana and Fresh Meadows, NY.
Prea Nankieshore, 34, a former clerk who registered patients in the emergency room at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills hospital in NYC.
Brijmohan Ramdayal
Clarence Clarke aka Oral of Linden
Murland Mc Pherson of Flatbush District and of Mahaicony
Yvonne Wharton, sister of Guyana’s preeminent saxophonist Erwin “Flantis” Edwards
Rita Yakum
Paramdeo Baichu
Vija Baichu
Abdul Razack Fyuse
Saraswati Niranjan
Ronald Hunter
Haringa Narayan
Sheila Anthony
Chandra Sain Ramdas
Georgeanna Greaves-Gentles
Phagu Singh formerly of Princess Street, Lodge
Frederick Winfield Matthias, who migrated to the US from Peter’s Hall EBD in 1969
Frankie Armstrong,
Aubrey McMillian Sears
Murtland McPherson formerly of Perth Village Mahaicony East Cost Demerara and NYC.
Clairmont Bell, formerly of Trafalgar Village West Coast Berbice and NYC
Victor Roberts, formerly of Plaisance, ECD and Brooklyn, NY.
Deenanauth Achaibar also known as Payo, originally from No. 73 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, Guyana who passed away on April 9, 2020 in NYC.
Godfrey Pilgrim, age 87
Linda Archer
Rev. George N. Frederick, 82, of Poinciana, Fl. Passed away on April 10th, 2020. He was born on October 3rd, 1937 in Georgetown Guyana to Clarence and Evelyn Frederick and the brother of Desiree Norton. Over his 40+ year career, Reverend Frederick served as pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Couva, Trinidad. He also ministered at several Methodist churches in Guyana. Reverend Frederick migrated to the United States to serve several churches in the North Indiana United Methodist Conference including Grace UMC, Caley UMC, Broadway Christian Parish and Marquette Park UMC. Pastor Frederick was the Senior Pastor at Calvary-Roseville UMC in East Orange, New Jersey for 18 years. He last served at Park Ridge UMC in New Jersey before he retired to Florida.
Sgt. Vibert “Bulli” Smith who played the tuba in the Guyana Police Force band and the trumpet as a freelance musician in Guyana.
Wayne Benn Fingal, an ex-police officer from New Amsterdam, Berbice and a NY Transit Bus driver, who resided in Brooklyn, NY, who died on April 11, 2020.
Satesh Deonarine
Sunny Kharag from NYC and formerly of Bush Lot, Corentyne, Guyana. He was the father of Ryan Kharag of Deluxe Delivery of NYC.
David Greene originally from Buxton who passed away on April 3, 2020
Annie Crandon, 85, who was born in Fyrish Village, Corentyne and lived between New York and London.
Carmen Patricia Jones aka Patsy Jones died on Tuesday March 31, 2020. She succumbed to Covid-19 while hospitalized at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY. After leaving Guyana she pursued a nursing career at Long Island College Hospital.
Mohanlall Janak died on April 11, 2020
Tulise Persaud
Seukumarie Hardeen, formerly of Hampshire Village, Berbice.
Nathalie Bishop died on April 11, 2020.
Tulsa Balram died on April 9th, 2020
Raymond Haniff, aka Bai-Gee who died on April 10, 2020
Mona Imrit, April 10, 2020
Oswald Anthony Mussenden, a former solider in the Guyana Defense Force from 1975 to 1984 who served under the commander in chief President of Guyana David A. Granger. He died on April 12, 2020.
Reverend Vibert Rudolph Prescott
Verona Fraser originally from Georgetown, died on April 11, 2020
Abdul Wahaab, 74, died at the Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas. Formerly from New Road Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara.
Tesrun Wahaab, 71, died at the Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas. Formerly from New Road Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara.
Captain Mohammed Rahaman who was assigned to the NYPD 115 Pct.
Ron Misir, who was born in Lenora, Guyana and was a professional mechanic at Dynamic Auto Center.
Bissoonauth Shiwnandan
Frank Michael, a shopkeeper of Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, died from the virus on March 30, 2020 after battling for a week on a ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit at North Shore University. He is survived by three children, two grandchildren, other family members and friends.
Dennis Dickson, 62, who worked for 14 years as a janitor with the New York City Police Department, died on March 26, 2020 from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Dickson, who died at Brooklyn’s Kings County Hospital, was the first NYPD casualty of the coronavirus pandemic. He was assigned the first floor of headquarters, which includes the memorial wall that lists the names of the officers who died in the line of duty.
Khemraj Mahadeo, 55, was born in Guyana before migrating to the US. He joined The New York Transit Authority where he worked in the Power Maintenance Pitkin Yard Repair Shop. He is survived by his widow, Ceriandia and two children, Sanjay and Anjaly.
James Owen Hunte also known as Bambi died on March 30, 2020.
Quincy Cummings, 41, a father of three and former teacher at McKenzie High School died in Queens, NY at the St. John’s Hospital.
Aseeran Nesha Amin, 78, died from COVID-19 on March 27th at Jamaica Hospital, Queens, New York.
Yvonne Wharton
Marvin Pearce, 44
Ivor Fraser
Leon Gaskin,70, was a former Advertising Manager at the Guyana Chronicle newspaper.
Sharon Cozier nee Walker was originally from Campbellville and South/North Ruimveldt, Georgetown and was a former teacher of St Margaret’s Primary school.
Walter Errol Loo who resided at Woodhaven, New York and formerly of Kent Street, New Amsterdam, Berbice died on April 4, 2020 at Jamaica Hospital, NY – just one week short of his 80th birthday. He was the father of Joanne Ally of USA, the late Jacqueline Lindie, the late Christopher Loo. Frank Loo of Canada, Raymond Loo and Jimmy Max Loo of Guyana. Loo was a former Del Casa restaurant and bar manager in Guyana.
Ajana Wilkenson-Iwayemi.
Avron Albert Alves, 57, died on Monday, April 6, 2020 to coronavirus. He was born on August 31, 1962 in Mahaica, East Coast of Demerara in Guyana to Irene Williams and Bertram McKay. Avron received his early education at Mahaica Primary and Mahaica Multi-Lateral High School. He then migrated to Brooklyn, NY where he attended and graduated from New York City Technical College. Avron began working at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, where he continued working throughout his career in various roles.
Marilyn Howard, is apparently the only school nurse in New York City Board of Education system killed by COVID-19. She emigrated from Guyana with her parents in 1981 at age 14 and helped care for four younger brothers. She first went to college at age 35, earned a master’s degree, and recently enrolled in Long Island University to become a nurse practitioner. Howard started feeling sick on March 14, a day after classes ended. She died on April 4, 2020.
Yvonne Greene, who resided in Brooklyn New York and formerly of Lodge, Georgetown Guyana, died on Monday April 27, 2020 from Coronavirus.
Naresh Persaud formerly from Foulis, East Coast Demerara, Guyana and of Queens, NYC.
Linden Branche, former owner of D’Lorice Banquet Hall in East Orange, NJ. He was 65. Branche is survived by his wife, Victoria, children Joseph and Natolia Wayne, grandchildren, brother, Julian, and many relatives.
Edgar Anthony James died on April 27, 2020, at Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital. He was born on February 14, 1953, in Coomacka, Guyana and lived in Poughkeepsie, NY.
Yvonne Headley Olanipekum formerly of Plaisance Village, East Coast Demerara, Guyana and the sister of Maureen Walker, previously Comptroller of Mount Vernon, passed away Wednesday May 13 , 2020.
