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Obituary
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+ Fernandes, Alexandrina (Drina)
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Fernandes, Alexandrina (Drina) Peacefully at the nursing home Toronto, Canada. on Sunday February 17th, 2008
- ex Siolim / Nairobi - in her 100th year. Beloved wife of the
late Peter Fernandes (Barclays Bank, Nairobi). Loving mother of
Bella (Benny), Danny - Goa (Clara) and Stella(Gerry). Drina will
be greatly missed by her grandchildren Brian, Bevan, Clayton
(Cheryl), Donovan, Shelley and Wesley. Proud great grandmother
of Vanessa. Fondly remembered by her many nieces and nephews.
Viewing Information:
Chapel: Turner & Porter Butler Chapel
Address: 4933 Dundas St., W. Etobicoke (between Islington &
Kipling Avenue)
Date: Thursday February 21st, 2008
Time: 2-4pm and 7-9pm
Funeral Information:
Church: Nativity of Our Lord Church
Address: 480 Rathburn Road, Etobicoke
Date: Friday February 22nd, 2008
Time: 10:30am
Interment Assumption Cemetery, Mississauga. |
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+ Antonio B.V. L. Fernandez
26 Jan: Highbury, London,
UK. Antonio Benidicto Valentino Lulu Fernandez, (aged 81 yrs;
ex-Nairobi, Survey of Kenya, and Navelim, Goa). Father of
Jennifer (Canada) and Louise (Leicester). Brother of the late
Sabino Fernandes and brother-in-law to Rosy Fernandes
(Leicester). Funeral Service held on Fri 8 Feb. at the Sacred
Heart Catholic Church, 25 Mere Road, Leicester, followed by
burial service at Gilroes Cemetery, Leicester. |
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Lino Leitao-A flower of passion from the
garden of Indo/Canadian writing has disappeared
By Editor: Dr. Stephen Gill Sunday,
February 10, 2008
Printed from:
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/1801
On the 25th of January, I thought of phoning Lino Leitao to pass
on a piece of information that I had received from Dr. Rollason
Christopher, a professor of literature and a writer from France.
In his newsletter, Dr. Christopher wrote about the latest issue
of Pegasus that carried an article by Lino about my poetry. I
wanted to pass on this information to him.
Instead, I received an email from Olga, Lino’s wife, to give me
the sad news about this flower of passion. On February 2nd, I
was at his memorial service at St. Veronica’s Church in Dorval,
Quebec, Canada, to present a eulogy.
Lino told me a few months ago that he was going for an
operation. I considered that operation to be serious. But in the
tone, words and the way Lino discussed some books with me and
that operation, I detected no fear, or anxiety. Therefore I did
not take his ailment and operation seriously. Apparently, he
took his condition philosophically.
Lino was a philosopher, a visionary, but primarily he was a
novelist and a short story writer. He was quite awake about his
social, political and literary environment. I appreciated him
for this factor as well.
Those who are involved with writing know that writing by its
very nature is a lonely profession. Creative writers, including
poets, have to be by themselves to create. When they are in
social circles, they write on the canvas of their mind. Later
when they are alone they put that on a piece of paper.
Man is a social animal, Aristotle said. Christ added that man
does not live by bread alone. The worst punishment that the law
of a country can give to any culprit is to confine him or her to
a lonely cell. As humans, writers need someone to share their
concerns and experiences. I found Lino active in that respect.
He was fully awake about the literary world around him. He knew
about books by Canadian writers, mainly by Asian writers and
could comment on them easily. He had a good knowledge of African
literature, as well as Indian. There was always a meaningful
exchange of information when we spoke over the phone. Our
literary and philosophical conversations used to last for even
an hour and still there was no end to them.
As a fiction writer, Lino worked with energy and passion. Most
of his stories are set in Goa and also in Uganda where he
migrated, and taught for a few years. When Adi Amin forced
Asians to leave Uganda, he settled in Canada.
Lino wrote these stories in a straightforward way without any
ornamentation, sometimes addressing social and racial issues
indirectly. He had insight into his compatriots from Goa. He
presented them as they are in a language that is unique and in a
style that is interesting. He had a notable proficiency for
painting the portraits of Goans. He displayed that proficiency
particularly in his Collected Short Tales, then again in Goan
Tales, and again in his Six Tales. He often liked to talk about
his novel Gift of the Holy Cross that was published in England.
He portrayed in this novel the Canadians who were born in Goa.
He told me about his latest novel that I believe is still with a
book publisher in Toronto.
Life is composed of meetings and departures. Some departures are
more painful than others. Death is the worst departure. It has
taken a flower of passion from the garden of Indo/Canadian
writing. In the gallery of newcomers, Lino was a passionate
painter of the Goan soul. I have no doubts whatsoever that
whenever and wherever there will be talk in any literary circle
in Canada, or India, the contributions of Lino Leitao will be
remembered. He is alive in the memorable lifelike characters he
has created in his fiction, in the sincerity of friendship, and
among the compatriots for his fiction in which he has
resurrected the life and atmosphere of Goa. Above all, Lino is
alive in the vibrant and loving family that he and his wife Olga
have raised.
The departure of Lino is painful to his close family for
different reasons, particularly to his wife Olga, and their
three children Andres, Rodin and Sheila. May The Supreme Power
give them every imaginable courage and patience to bear this
loss, and keep the soul of Lino close to His Kingdom, where the
purity of the bliss reigns and where the evil birds of bloodshed
do not nest. |
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