2017-JAN-14-1059Hrs
Errol,
Attached is the eulogy that I presented at the funeral of Mr Williams on Friday 13th at the St Mary’s Anglican Church, Tacarigua.
Blessings
Felix
"EULOGY FOR MR WILLIAMS
My name is… I am not a blood relative, not even pumpkin vine family but I have been asked to do the eulogy. I think it is because they (those who chose me) think I know a lot about Mr. Williams or they think I will not say anything bad about him.
Actually I do not like eulogies for they often tend to be exaggerations, and loaded with platitudes, so that they make you think that the person was a living saint even though in life they were close to the opposite. In this eulogy I will give you my opinion and that of a few others that I hope will look genuine as for me they are honest opinions. In any case I am talking to people, the majority of whom knew Mr. Williams very well so you can judge. And you know when lay people judge they can be harsher than those with training in law.
I will not start as is usually done in eulogies by extolling the academic achievements of Mr Williams. Indeed at this moment I do not think academic achievements is important to him, and is not what makes a man most highly respected, for someone with a plethora of high academic achievements can be a scamp, an abusive spouse, and very dishonest. What I think makes someone admirable is other qualities which can be summed as his relationship with others regardless of their status in society, and the positive influence the person has on others.
I have made myself clear. I met Mr. Williams first when I was a student at the now non-operational Mausica Teachers College and kept in touch with him until death did us part, and though there is much I can say about him, I would like the opinions expressed not to be mine alone but also those of some others who have known him, so I will first mention some messages I got from some of Mausica’s past students who were influenced by Mr. Williams whom we called affectionately and with due respect, “Uncle Fitz.” Much of r. Williams’ life was spent at Mausica.
John Clarke
Mr. Williams started his teaching career at the Tunapuna Anglican Primary School after graduating from the Teachers’ Training College in 1937. A few years later he was appointed assistant manager at the Tacarigua Orphanage. After that he took up appointments as headmaster of Morvant, Toco, Eccles Village, and Williamsville Anglican schools. He was later appointed warden at the Mausica Teachers’ College. In 2012, Williams was awarded the Public Service Medal of Merit (Gold) for outstanding and meritorious service.
Arthur Small
Luther Samuel, a teacher under Mr Williams at a school in Hardbargain, somewhere in Gasparillo had this to say:
He was very trusting
Never saw him angry, but was always willing to elevate the educational standard of those who worked with him. He was a prolific reader. To be around him was an education in itself, just to sit and look and listen to him organise anything be it sports meeting, the way he dealt with teachers at staff meetings are two examples
Arthur adds his own words: Apparently the Fitzy we knew at Mausica has always demonstrated the qualities of which Luther Samuel spoke.
Selwyn Jacob
In my early days at Mausica Teachers College I got to know Mr. Williams quite well. During one of my many visits to his home on the campus, I noticed that he had gone to England on a Commonwealth scholarship during the late thirties. I am guessing the late thirties because there was a picture of some of the students from around the world celebrating the 25th anniversary of their original meeting in London, and this would have been in the early sixties. At the time, I was amazed by the fact that these students were keeping in touch with one another after such an incomprehensible period of time. Little did I know at that time that Mr. Williams’ experience at Mausica Teachers’ College would supersede this Commonwealth scholarship experience, simply because of the length of time, the number of students he interacted with, and those whose lives he touched. When I think of the Mausica experience I can’t think of any other individual who had such a defining influence on the college, then and now. It’s almost impossible to imagine the existence of Mausica without Mr. Williams. May he rest in Peace.
When I met Uncle Fitz, he was the warden and I was a student and I was first impressed by his friendliness. He was very approachable and as a student you felt comfortable in his company. His staff-student relationship was one of friend, but you had great respect for him. This is probably the major reason that often when there were problems among the students Uncle Fitz was the one who would be approached for a solution.
He was the chief organiser of events at the college. Together with Mrs. Daphne Cuffie (whom we called aunty Daff) he organised the Mausica Teachers Choir and later the Mausica Alumni choir which won several trophies at the National Music Festival. When we had debating competitions with other schools he again was the one who prepared the debaters. He was the one responsible for the hostel garden competition at the college and had the students proudly keeping their place od residence clean and well maintained.
Added to this the students could have called on him when they heeded help for various legitimate activities. You see we were resident at the college and so we became one family, and you know there are always problems among siblings. One student, Esmond Francois told me that Uncle Fitz taught him to drive. Me, he taught me to hold a note when I am singing. Though I was not a singer he allowed me to be a member of the choir and if I can now sing the scale in tune it is largely because of Mr. Williams. I couldn’t believe when he alled me once to do a solo in Queens Hall, although it was just one line in the song. (No demonstrations).
I am telling you this so that you will understand that how he empowered the students. He made you do what you thought you did not have the ability to do. Today, thanks largely to him I can now play a musical instrument, the cuatro, which has enriched my life especially during the parang season. He did not teach me to play but he gave me inspiration as a member of the choir.
He was a staff member that you did not fear but you respected. If you were doing something that you knew was against the college rules and you saw Mr. Williams coming you would stop, but not out of fear, but out of respect. He was a father figure and a role model.
I would not be fair to him if I did not mention this quality which was so often displayed. I am talking about his sense of humour. He thought that he had a great sense of humour and would always try something on you and complement it with his typical half a smile. I am sure those of you who knew him well can envision that smile now. He often had a joke to tell and we the students would laugh out of respect, regardless of whether or not we appreciated his humour. Perhaps I am unfair so I will give you an example with one that I remember well. I have on occasions reminded him of it and he would respond with that smile.
Now this is not my joke. This is Uncle Fitz’s joke so in due respect to him you are supposed to give a positive response. We were in the assembly hall and this is what he said:
There was a crowd of people on a boat cruise having a good time drinking and dancing when suddenly there was a loud shout, “Man overboard!” The crew ran over to the rail and tossed life-saving equipment into the sea and were getting ready to lower a life boat when they saw a big shark approaching the woman. Everybody held their head in horror just waiting for the inevitable. The shark came up to the woman and swam all around her as if taking a good look and then swam away. All were in shock. Why did the shark not eat her?... She was a woman and it was a man-eating shark.
I, or we, liked to visit him at his house on campus where we were welcomed. Several of us frequented his dwelling place not because we had a problem or we really wanted to talk to him but because had had a well-stocked bar and he did not have to offer us anything but we were free to partake of his ware. That is how comfortable we were in his presence and that is an example of how friendly and accommodating he was.
There is much more that can be said about him and his life in Mausica but I think that this is enough for this occasion.
When he left Mausica I kept in touch with him. Indeed many students kept in touch because of what he meant to us, When he was at his home, at the senior citizens homes, and there are those who visited him up to his last days at the hospital. This was a true father. We had celebrated with him his 98th birthday year before at the senior citizens home in Arima and we were planning a grand celebration for his 100th birthday which was to take place this year. We are saddened that he did not make it but still happy that his passing was not a painful one.
As I express my parting wish I will not end with one of the usual clichés, like they do not make them like that anymore for it is my hope that we were so influenced by Uncle Fitz that there will be others to follow in his footsteps; neither will I say that we have lost a great man, for his contribution was so inspiring that it will live on in our hearts and cause us to continue achieving what he urged us to do; neither will I say rest in peace for although his body is at rest I know that the true uncle Fitz, his spirit, is alive in the hearts of all of us and he enjoyed life not by resting but by being active so Uncle Fitz, my final prayer for you is may your soul rejoice in the glory and happiness of eternal life."
