The Caribbean Immigrant Victims Of COVID-19

By NAN Staff Writer

NEW YORK, NY,Fri. April 10, 2020: A heartbreaking trend has now become a daily new reality on Facebook in the COVID-19-era. The pages of many Caribbean immigrants, once filled with happy memories, are now plastered with postings of the pictures or names of family and friends in the US and UK Diasporas who have been killed by the deadly virus.

On Thursday morning, April 9, 2020, many in the US Caribbean Diaspora were stunned to hear of the passing of Roy Hastick, popular Caribbean immigrant New Yorker, small business advocate and founder of CAACI, the Caribbean American Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

The Grenadian-born national reportedly lost his life to the virus at a Brooklyn, NY hospital on Wednesday night as his wife, Dr. Edna Hastick, continues to fight for her life.

Hastick was a police officer in Grenada before migrating to the United States in 1972. He worked for several years as an administrator, community advocate, entrepreneur and newspaper publisher before founding CACCI in 1985. His dream was to build a Caribbean Trade Center. In October 2019, it was announced that the Flatbush Caton Market — managed by CACCI — that houses more than 40 micro-vendors will be transformed into a mixed-use project. Projected to open in three years, an expanded renovated market, a new space for CACCI, classrooms and a commercial kitchen will be at that site as well as 166 low income residential units. Sadly, Hastick did not live to see his dream become a reality. He is survived by his wife, four children and eight grandchildren.

On Wednesday, April 8, 2020, a page set up to honor Guyanese lost to corona, announced that Billy Braithwaite, the former manager of Guyana Airways Corporation and later North American Airlines Guyana operations as well as budding politician Mark Callender, had died from the virus, also in New York.

On April 7, 2020, the relatives of Guyanese immigrant Jim Bacchus, the founder of Jim Bacchus Travel Service, also announced he had died from the virus in NYC.

On April 2, 2020, the virus claimed the life of reggae promote, Father German.

The preliminary death rate for black people is 20 per 100,000 in NYC.

In the UK, the virus has also taken the lives of many Caribbean immigrants. Among them are reggae singer Delroy Washington, who passed away on March 27, 2020 from the virus and Guyanese Lee Nurse, a former cricketer of the Berkshire Schools U19 Squad, passed away on April 9, 2020 from the virus as well.

The list is growing and there is no real count or memorial to date. As such, we are doing our best to keep track and make sure each name is memorialized. Please send us any names of friends or family members so we can add to our list via https://www.facebook.com/NewsAmericasNowNews/

Guyana

Billy Braithwaite, former manager North American Airways

Marc Callender, NYC political consultant

Jim Bacchus, founder, Jim Bacchus Travel Agency

Wendell “Dragga” Manifold, former national Under-18 captain of the Pele FC, died at Brooklyn Downstate Hospital, from cardiac arrest, due to the Coronavirus.

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

Lee Nurse, cricketer, UK

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, former pastor of Kingston Methodist Church, Guyana

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.

Albert James Jacobus was Land Surveyor for the Department of Design and Construction, Office of Land Surveying, City of New York. He died from COVID on March 29, 2020.

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. She leaves behind to mourn her seven children, seven siblings and numerous family members in Guyana and the USA.

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

Imam Hadji Zakir was a member of the The United Muslim Organization, and was also a notable personality on WPAT 930 AM, NY.

Michael Gilkes, poet, actor, playwright, director, literary critic, died in England this morning at the age of 86 after three nights in the ICU fighting Covid19.

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

George Watson, who died on April 3 was formerly from Stanley Town, New Amsterdam Berbice.

Iltab Hosein, 77, former imam of Masjid Al Jama in Queens New York and formerly of the Nabaclis and Enmore communities, Guyana died on April, 5, 2020 at Queens General Hospital. He was 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 Force (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 in Queens.

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.

George Watson, 83,  formerly of 54 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice, 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.

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.

On July 16, 1989 he married Rosemary Armstrong, and with this union a daughter, Jasmine, was born. He leaves to cherish precious memories, his loving wife, Rosemary Alves; daughter, Jasmine Alves; sister, Iris Taylor; brothers: Felix Alves, Stephen Alves, Lennox Alves, Hubert Alves and Herol McKay; and several cousins, nieces and nephews.

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.

Yvonne Headley Olanipekum formerly of Plaisaince Village, East Coast Demerara, Guyana and the sister of Maureen Walker, previously Comptroller of Mount Vernon, passed away Wednesday May 13 , 2020.

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.

Grenada

Roy Hastick, founder, Caribbean American Chamber of Industry and commerce (CAACI)

Popular DJ Roach

Spice Angel Michelle Joseph who hailed from Spring Street, Georges Grenada

Kingston Murray

Roy Clement

Hesronni Cayenne, 48, born in Carriacou and vice chair of the structure division of TWU Local 100, NYC.

Lyndonna Connaught

Francis Gilbert

Christine Phillip

Frederick Kerr

Alphonsus Andrew

Kathleen (Yvonne) Ross-Gill of Beaulieu, St. Georges, Grenada passed away on April 14, 2020.

Trinidad & Tobago

Dez-Ann Romain, 36, a principal at Brooklyn Democracy Academy, a transfer school in Brownsville for students over 16 or without sufficient credits who are working toward a high school diploma.

Gail Naidu Bell-Bonnette, who was born in Trinidad and best known for organizing Caribbean cultural awareness campaigns and activities in the East Orange and Orange communities of New Jersey.

Trevor Pierre, a health and safety inspector and a former Petrotrin employee who migrated with his family in 1993. He previously lived in San Fernando.

Sieunarine Ramnarine, an employee at DJ Ambulette Service in the Bronx, New York

Cunupia-born Kissoon Nandram, 57

Winston O’Neil

Rosemary Coutou, a nurse in Brooklyn, NY who was originally from south Trinidad. She was employed at the Kings Brook Hospital in Brooklyn and died on April 9, 2020. She was 52 and the mother of 2.

Winford Atherley

Denise Warren, 48, and was originally from Beetham Gardens.

Junior Toussaint, 72, who grew up in Laventille, Trinidad

Lincoln Joseph, also known as “D General,” 78, emigrated to the United States 20 years ago and was originally from Valencia.

Joel Hannays who past away on April 6, 2020 in Manhattan, NY.

Conrad Ifill, the owner of New York’s Conrad’s Famous Bakery in Brooklyn, NY. Ifill had quit his Computer Data Processing job on Wall Street to pursue his dream of opening a Trinidadian Bakery.

Martin Douglas, a pan pioneer who set the tone for the steelband in New York. He was born in Trinidad on May 3, 1948, where he spent much of his childhood roaming local pan yards and listening to the steelpan. He died on March 31 in a Brooklyn hospital less than a week after he was admitted with complications wrought by the virus. He was 71. After migrating to New York, worked, among other jobs, as a subway car inspector for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Douglas is survived by his wife, Jannette, and three children.

Jamaica

Ashley Johnson, the brother of the Consul General of Jamaica to New York, Alsion Roach-Wilson, who passed away on March 27, 2020 due to the virus.

Delroy Washington, reggae singer

Penny Lorna Banhan

Dwight Clare, 55

NYC Caribbean American independent radio pioneer, Gil Bailey, 84 who passed away at 2 a.m. on April 13, 2020.

Earl Bailey, a 56-year-old resident of Sunrise, Florida, who died at his home on Sunday, April 5, after developing symptoms of the virus two weeks ago, and being sent home to self-quarantine.

Hugh Trent

Donald Brooks who was also of the St Luke’s Episcopal Church, NY.

Albert Malcolm, father of former top English cricketer, Devon Malcolm. He was 75 and died while on the road to recovery in a hospital where he was being treated for a mini-stroke.

Ian William Wilson (a.k.a Pete and Willo) who lived in the Bronx and worked as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) nurse at Isabella Nursing Home in New York City. He was a former alumnus of Kingston College, Jamaica and died on April 1, 2020 at the St Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, NY.

Michelle Bennett, aunt of Miss Universe 2018 first runner-up Davina Bennett.

Elaine Swack

Winston Hugh Pratt, a NY Transit worker for 29 years and from Kingston died on April 7, 2020. He was born on Dec 5, 1955 and attended the Kingston Technical & CAST/Utech. He is survived by his wife Heather.

Elecier Williams, also known as Norsha, was a frontline worker with the New York City MTA, working as a train conductor. She died on May 3, 2020. She was also the niece of Jamaica’s Counsel General to NY, Alsion Roach Wilson.

Bahamas

Judson Frazier Eneas, 72, Nephrologist at Doctors Hospital and of Nassau, Bahamas. He was 72 and died on April 1, 2020. Eneas was a pioneer in the medical community as an internist, and nephrologist who introduced Dialysis to Doctors Hospital.

Haiti

Dr. Ronald Verrier, a Haitian immigrant and trauma critical care surgeon practicing at the St Barnabas hospital in the Bronx, New York died on April 8, 2020. Dr. Verrier spent the final weeks of his life tending to a torrent of patients infected with Covid-19. Workers at St Barnabas hospital struggled to find masks and gowns as staff set up makeshift morgues in the parking lot. (Many nurses continue to make cloth masks.)

Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Dr. Verrier emigrated to the United States and had worked at St Barnabas for the last two decades, overseeing the general surgery residency program.

Dr. Bredy Pierre Louis

Edith Richemond, was 88. She came to the United States with little education from Marchand Dessalines, the first capital of independent Haiti, but was determined to succeed. She ended up owning several buildings and laundromats. Ms. Richemond died of complications of the novel coronavirus on April 25, 2020 at a Brooklyn nursing home.

Barbados

Jean Weekes-Husbands, a 65-year-old senior analyst at a financial investment firm in New Jersey.

Anthony Hall, secretary of the Barbados Ex-Policemen’s Association

Marlene Hinds, president of the Barbados group at St Gabriel’s Church in Brooklyn.

Pearson Jordan was from Speightstown, St Peter. He represented Barbados in the Olympics and was a very well known athlete.

Dondrew Gibbons, 45 who lived in  Connecticut

Mrs. Wilson of Hawthorne Street in Brooklyn, New York (her first name has been omitted at her family’s request)

Michelle Boxhill, a second generation Barbadian born in the United Kingdom, who lived in Brooklyn

Cedric Robinson a mechanic, originally from the Sargeant’s Village, Christ Church area

St. Lucia

Carlyle Martial, a former St. Lucian athlete

Gaspar Phillips

Candy Daniel

Kerian Emmanuel

Ignatius Xavier

Parson Fessal of the UK

Martha Alexander of New York

Perpetua Albert of New York

Francis Noel of New York

Corville Dujon of the UK

Mafalda Bruno who died in Switzerland

Craig Auguste, 32, originally from Soufriere in Saint Lucia and of Brooklyn, died from COVID-19 complications at a hospital in New York on April 14, 2020.

Victor Mangal, alias ‘Bottie,’ a former cricketer and umpire who hailed from the south of the island, passed away in New York on Saturday night, April 18, 2020.

Jane Duncan, 103, died on Saturday, April 11, 2020 at a nursing home in New York. Duncan, who lived in Brooklyn since 1993 on Flatbush, had five children including one deceased son. She is survived by four children Agatha Duncan, James Duncan, Wesley Duncan, and Isidore Duncan, as well as 23 grandchildren, and 26 great-grandchildren.

Susanna Valentina Joseph, was a resident of New Jersey. She was a member of Streams of Power Ministries while living in Saint Lucia, and worshiped at the branch in Fond Assau, Babonneau.

Reccie Regis, originally from Denery.

Ras Shaq from Soufriere.

Ronnie Charlery died in the UK

Roy “Samari” Alexander died in the UK

Linda Pascal originally from Gros Islet

Peter Clery originally from Gros Islet

Puerto Rico

Iris Anaida Martínez Arroyo was an icon in New Jersey’s strong and proud Puerto Rican community. She was an educator, a cultural manager, and a community and political activist. She was born in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico.

Victor de Jesus, 58, Pediatrician, Hospital HIMA, Caguas, Puerto Rico

Sonia Román, 61, Nurse, Hospital Auxilio Mutuo, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Dominican Republic

Roberto Tejada, 45, grew up in the Dominican Republic and played baseball in Puerto Rico before settling in Queens.

St. Vincent And the Grenadines

Annis Creese who was born in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is the second educator at Northwestern High School and the third school employee to die from the novel coronavirus in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Creese, 73, was a Spanish teacher and planned to retire at the end of this semester. Creese grew up in poverty and was sent to live with relatives in Trinidad and Tobago. She later migrated to the US. She died on April 5 in Hyattsville.