Dear Goanetters, I cannot forget Dr.Fernando, in whose family chapel in Bicholim I offered the Eucharist when he was living, but sick on bed. It was at the invitation of his wife, Maria Elsa Filomena Coutinho, who was telling me about their problems at that time. It is interesting to know about his achievements in life. I heard about what was being narrated to us in our younger days, namely that Dr.Fernando used to say: "Soglem kui! Sonvsar kui!"
Fr.Ivo ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Interesting and Colourful Life of Dr Cui Published on: October 10, 2010 - 03:24 BY DR GUSTAVO PINTO Dr Fernando Wolfango da Silva was born on November 7, 1914 in Lisbon, Portugal, though of Goan origin. He was the son of Dr Francisco Wolfango da Silva, director of the erstwhile Escola Medico-cirugica de Nova Goa and director of Health Services (Diretor do services de saude) during the Portuguese days. His grandfather Dr Bernardo Wolfango da Silva was also Diretor of Asia?s oldest medical school before him. He was one of the five pioneers responsible for setting up the Escola Medico-Cirugica de Nova Goa and was instrumental in controlling a cholera epidemic in Goa in the 1940s. Scion of an illustrious family with aristocratic roots, he was the grandson of the Count of Mayem (situated in today?s Bicholim taluka) of which the palace still stands today along with the family chapel, a shadow of its once glorious by-gone past. The family of Conde de Mayem also owned a palace in the heart of Panaji city which gave way to the Souza building on the periphery of the Jardim Garcia da Orta or Panaji Municipal garden which today houses the famous eatery Caf? Tato. Not so long ago, the building housed the old Clube Vasco da Gama with its imposing bust of the famous explorer (the bust lies dusty and forlorn on the second floor of the building) and its large life size mirrors that adorned its walls. I vividly recollect attending many formal dances there in my younger days not too long ago. I have had the privilege and honour of not only meeting Goa?s first vet Dr Fernando, then affectionately known as Dr Cui, but also of having had tea with him when I was working in Bicholim in 1987. He was married to professora Maria Elsa Filomena Coutinho. I still visit the remains of the palace situated in the lush green countryside of Mayem. I still feel a sense of awe when I tread through the corridors of what remains of the palace and feel deep respect for the souls that once lived within its walls. The palace is witness to history-in-the-making during those erstwhile days. It was the venue of grand get-togethers, sumptuous state dinners replete with ball-room dancing where Goan aristocracy gathered and the nobility lived life to the full, with gentlemen attired in tail coats and the ladies in fashionable gowns reminiscent of those days. He lived for a large part of the year in a massive house which today still stands, though derelict, but upright and proud in the market area at Panaji, diagonally opposite to Poshak and next to Royal Foods. Though bereft of its grandeur, it is now encroached on the back by footpath vendors.
