Goanet meets in Goa: December 27, 12 noon and January 7, 4 pm (meeting point: Kala Academy canteen). See you there! ------------------------------
Death of ex Kuwait Goan Gabriel Soares.
With deep regret I got the news of the death of ex Kuwait Goan Mr. Gabriel Soares from Agarvaddo Calangute. It was in the obituary column in Herald dated 24th December I noticed his death. Gabriel Soares popularly known in Kuwait amongst his friends and colleagues as Gabru worked in Kuwait for over 25 years for M/s Yacoub Y. Behbehani. He died on 23rd of this month and interred on the next day in the local cemetry of Calangute.
The late Gabru was popular amongst Goans in Kuwait before his voluntary retirement from Kuwait about 15 years back. He was staying at Darwaza Abdul Razak where his Flat was always flooded with friend circle. He was a very sociable person involving himself in diverse social and sports activities. He had thin physique but thick mind and was a well read person having vast knowledge of many subjects of world affairs. On World soccer he was like an encyclopaedia and many times he used to share his knowledge with me. A non aggressive man he was always a docile and soft spoken. He was helpful in nature in many aspects. Thru his personal influence he would if possible help Goans in finding jobs. Even he helped financially many people, once given help for the worthy cause he would never ask for its return, that was his sterling quality.
He was one of the main persons who helped me to establish G.O.A. (Goan Overseas Association), G.O.A. in the beginning had two soccer teams, one GOA Maroons and the other Whites, later on GOA Whites was disbanded. In the inception year of our soccer at Sour Grounds in 1979 I was playing and captaining Salmiya Youth organised by Peter D'Souza who was that time working for Abdul Aziz Al Mutawa, Bosch Division. As my admirer Gabru always used to come to see me playing and support our team. Along with him was Assumption De Sa another founder member of G.O.A. After that inception year Peter and myself decided to have one strong team and it was my decision to have a team/Club of reputed persons in the committee as well as participants. Hence I confided in Gabru who immediately agreed and till his retiring from Kuwait he remained faithful to G.O.A. working hard for the cause of G.O.A. Along with Gabru who joined to establish G.O.A., soccer mad Assumption De Sa, his brother and president of G.O.A. Raymond De Sa who is become a strong unifying factor of the Club (both from Arpora), John Felix D'Souza (Anjuna), Messias Barreto as Vice President(Candolim), Peter D'Souza (Camurlim), Domnick Correia (Nagoa Bardez) and Pascoal Soares (Calangute younger brother of Gabru). While leaving from Kuwait during the farewell party hosted in his honour, G.O.A. presented its Jersey for Gabru which he always displayed in his house in Goa with pride. Even though he was in Goa he always enquired with me about the activities of G.O.A. and other clubs.
When Gulf Goans Hotels Co. was established he was very much active and instrumental in getting share holders for this company. Along with his colleague and friend Assumption De Sa he tried hard to help promotion of this venture which is the only so far of Gulf Goans. In the initial stages he pumped into this company a good amount in the form of shares and pushed me also to get inducted into this venture since in the beginning it was something strange for many of the share holders. Vincente D'Souza was the architecht of this company and Gabru in the initial stages helped Vincente D'Souza to go ahead and because of their tireless work then the Goans from Kuwait under Gulf Goans Hotels Company managed to erect its edifice in the form of Hotel Goan Heritage at Ghavravaddo Calangute. Though he was so helpful for the promotion of this Hotel project yet he never aspired for anything personal glorification for him. Even when once I proposed his name to be one of the Directors of this Company in the meeting held at Shuwaikh Modern Restaurant he politely declined. This shows his humility.
For the cause of Goa and Konkani he would support to the best of his abilities. When Konkani movement gained momentum in Kuwait in late 1970s with the initiative of Novem Goem Pratisthan for the starting of Konkani Daily Novem Goem, he was one of the persons who gave his donation without uttering a single word. When I approached him for the donations to send to NGP in Goa, he brought his Cheque Book and gave in my hand and told me to write the amount of my choice. When I insisted that it was his prerogative he refused first but on my further insistence he wrote one thousand rupees and that time it was a big amount when many others gave only one hundred rupees. For the cause of direct flight we organised Tiatro to raise fund, here also he came forward by selling our tickets and arranging advertisements for our Souvenir. In this way he helped many of the Goan and social causes. Many of his good deeds remained hidden. After all it is said by Shakesphere in J. Ceasar " The good that man doeth often interred with the bones, the evil always remaineth after him". As a man who was closely associated with Gabru whatever good he did I did not allow to be interred with the bones, these good deeds should be exposed for the posterity and the current generation of Goans in Kuwait to emulate and do more good for the cause of society. Currently we are having less of Goans like Gabru and day by day their number is dwindling. May God give us more of such Gabrus for the promotion of Goan interest and may God give Gabru eternal rest in His Kingdom. Amen.
A. Veronica Fernandes, Kuwait.
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