Born on March 25, 1943 in Letter Kenny Village, Berbice, Guyana, Nancoomar Ramsaran, commonly known as Patrick, has died. After illness for several months, he passed away on April 20, 2020 from Covid-19 complications at Queens General Hospital in New York. Funeral services are scheduled for May 12, 2020 at McDonalds followed by cremation at St Michael’s Cemetery in Queens, New York.
Patrick lived with his family in Queens, New York. He dedicated his life to his immediate family and to the extended family he loved. And he worked tirelessly to raise a family the best he could. He was a man of integrity and had the penchant for hard work. He was well-liked and had an affable personality; he always smiled. No one ever said anything negative or harsh about him. He was greatly admired by siblings who spoke glowingly of him at virtual wakes held on Webinar during several nights preceding his cremation.
He was married in 1963 to Savitri (Dru) Ramrattan of Tain Settlement, Berbice, a union that produced three children all born in Guyana. He emigrated from Guyana in September 1968 and lived briefly in Manhattan. He was later joined by his wife Savitri in 1969, who returned to Guyana to bring the kids — Beejai, Padmini (Paddy) and Chandrada – to live permanently in New York. He also he moved to New Jersey living there for a short period. He acquired residency and brought his wife and three children to settle in America. They lived for a few years on 49th Street on the West side in Manhattan; several Guyanese used to live in that area during the 1960s and 1970s. After three years, the family acquired a home at 98th Street in Jackson Heights being among the earliest Guyanese to acquire a private home in America. There, Patrick provided comfort and shelter to several members of his family that emigrated from Guyana. After living in Jackson Heights for several years, the family finally settled in Hollis, from where his children got married. He was also a loving grandfather to his seven grandchildren.
Patrick worked mostly as a knitting machinist in New York since the time of his arrival until he recently retired. He was an efficient, reliable worker. He was loved at his job. For hobby, he liked to travel and meeting family members who lived away from New York, like visiting his youngest brother who resides in Hawaii. He also loved visiting Florida, where he has many relatives, and Guyana of course.
Patrick was the second child of the late Ramsaran (Sonny) Ramlochan, estate driver at Port Mourant Estate residing at Letter Kenny and then Bloomfield Village, and Dhinki Ramjewan, formerly of No. 78 Village. His great grandfather Pooriya arrived from India in 1853 and his great grandmother Radhah in 1860.
Patrick grew up as a very strong young man and started working at a young age. He used to help his father in the rice fields. And then he obtained a regular salary paying job in his youth in the “filter press gag” at Port Mourant Estate. The gang dispersed the blackened waste product of crushed cane that was used as nutritious manure in the cane fields of Port Mourant or on private farmlands.
Like so many other young men of his time growing in the rural villages, he liked going to the movies and wedding houses (Saturday night and or Sunday). He was also a cricket enthusiast and a fantastic cricketer, a hard-hitting left-hander batsman feared by bowlers and an excellent bowler. In fact, he was nick named “Halls” after West Indies bowler Wesley Halls. He played in home villages of Letter Kenny and Bloomfield and also toured with his team to several clubs in outlying areas including Whim, Lancaster, Ankerville, Rose Hall, among others.
Like thousands of his age group during the 1960s, Patrick imagined coming to America and how life would be good, better than working in the hot, putrid cane fields or attending to the paddy fields. That dream became reality in 1968 when, guided by his younger brother Ashook, he arrived on a student visa, and like so many others who came to study, decided to work instead to pay school fees and make ends meet. He soon sent for his wife Dru and later his 3 children to join him. He subsequently sponsored his parents and several of his siblings, as has been the norm for family reunification, to join his family in America. He helped to given them a better life in America.
Patrick and Dru also sponsored several of his wife’s family to join them in America. He was kind hearted and generous, keeping them in his house at various times and helping them get settled and established before moving on their own residences.
Patrick always had a pleasant personality. He wanted the best for his wife and children, as well as the extended family. He worked very hard to make that happen. He was close to his family, friends, relatives and his wife’s relatives as well. He maintained contact with all, even informing others when family and friends were ill or passed away. He never had any harsh words for or ill-treated anyone.
I remember him as a jolly, fun, good-natured guy. I visited his home several times in Jackson Heights and Hollis especially when he had ‘Jhandis’ and when Paddy got married. He loved to entertain guests and have a great time. He made everyone felt at home when they visited him whether in Manhattan and or in Queens. My late father, Baldat, took a liking to him as did my brothers, mother, and sisters and Dru’s kin.
The last I saw of him was at the Dayaram Mandir on 192nd Street where he attended service. He always complimented me for my writings in the papers. He kept abreast of happenings in Guyana and the Guyanese community in America through the newspapers. He never missed a wake or a religious function or even a wedding of a family member. We shall miss his infectious smile and his presence at the mandir and at religious or social functions. I remember his presence at my wedding in March 1985 at the temple in Flushing and later at my parents’ home in Astoria.
Thoughts and prayers go out to his beloved family during this difficult time from brothers and sisters, cousins and family members from near and far, and from other siblings as well as from Dru’s family members.
We all mourn his passing and will miss him dearly.
There were several evenings of virtual wake for this wonderful family man. Excerpt from online wake in his honor: “He enjoyed taking a few drinks, laugh and meeting family and friends. A good person, a good friend, a good soul, one of us. Dearly departed. We will miss him dearly. Rest in Peace, my brother, my friend”.Attachments area
