Obituary
 

+ Gil Flores Flores, Gil H.A., Ph.D. Gil Flores (ex-Margao, Goa, and Kampala, Uganda) passed away peacefully at Milton District Hospital on Monday, August 31, 2009 at the age of 66, after a long courageous battle with cancer. Beloved husband of Loretta. Loving father of Carlos, Karen, Michelle and her husband Neville. Condolences to floresfly@hotmail.com. He will be sadly missed by his extended family and friends. Special thanks to Dr. Suzanne Trudel for her dedicated care. Friends may call at the Turner & Porter “Peel” Chapel 2180 Hurontario St., Mississauga (Hwy 10 N. of QEW) on Tuesday & Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. Funeral Mass to be held at Sts. Peter & Paul Church, 4070 Central Pkwy E., Mississauga, North of Burnhamthorpe on Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. Interment St. Mary’s Cemetery, Mississauga.

+ MRS. BELLA PEREIRA Separated in the 66th year of marriage on August 16th, 2009. Bella peacefully joined her devoted husband and soul mate, Custodio, on Thursday August 27, 2009 in her 87th year. She will be fondly remembered by her sons Rev. Martin Pereira (Pastor, St. Pius X Church, Toronto), Manuel (Lydia) and Maurice (Fatima). She will be greatly missed by her grandchildren Anastasia, Terence, Leon and Glynis. The family would like to thank all those who cared for Bella especially the staff at Trillium Health Centre for the wonderful care they provided. Vigil for Bella - friends may call at the Turner & Porter ''Peel'' Chapel, 2180 Hurontario St., Mississauga (Hwy. 10, N. of QEW) from 6 - 8:30 p.m. on Sunday August 30th. Funeral Mass at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, 4070 Central Parkway East, Mississauga at 10 a.m. on Monday August 31. Interment Assumption Cemetery. For those who wish, donations to St. Pius X Renovation Fund (2305 Bloor St. W., Toronto, ON M6S 1P1) would be greatly appreciated by the family as your expression of sympathy. Above excerpt from the Globe & Mail. http://v1.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/Deaths.20090828.93206064/BDAStory/BDA/deaths

+Ninfa de Souza  Passed away peacefully on August 12,2009, in her 89th year. Predeceased by her husband Jovita. Beloved mother of Robert (Isabel) and Grandmother of Filipe and Sonia. Sister of the late Rufino (Nina), Idilho and Crispo (Celina) Sister-in-law of the late Francisco (Palmira), Florence, and Mario. Funeral services and interment were held on August 24, 2009 in Toronto, Canada.

Lt Gen EA Vas (1923-2009) From: goanet-news-bounces@lists.goanet.org | Sent: August 18, 2009 12:40:33 PM To: Goa's premiere mailing list, estb. 1994! (goanet@lists.goanet.org) Lt Gen E.A Vas (b. May 15, 1923) passed away last night at his home in Pune. Vas, PVSM, was from Saligao, and commissioned in the Infantry in August 1942. A graduate from the Defence Services Staff College and National Defence College, he had commanded the 1st Battalion, 9th Gorkha rifles. He served in various training and staff appointments, and held active command assignments all over South Asia, from the Indo-Afghan frontier (pre-Partition) and along the Sino-Indian, Indo-Park, Burma and Bangladesh borders. The General commanded an Infantry-Armoured Brigade Group in the Indo-Pak War of 1965, and an Infantry Division in the Rajasthan desert in 1971. He was responsible for setting up and developing the College of Combat from its inception, was a Corps Commander in the Punjab in 1974 and was appointed Adjutant General in 1977. He retired in May 1981, as General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Army. He has been based at Pune, and spent time writing on security matters, and was associated with the Departments of Defence Studies at the Universities of Pune and Allahabad. He was the author of three books on violence, terrorism and insurgency, a personal account of the Jammu and Kashmir Operations 1947-49, and a travel book on Bhutan. His book 'Fools and Infantrymen: One View of History 1923-1993' touches on themes like the migration and establishment of the Goan community in Karachi, Sind and Vas' early years there. He also writes about the rise of Mahatma Gandhi in the Indian scene, the start of World War II, factors that influenced his career in the army, pre-commission training at Mhow, "excitingly dangerous" service in the NWFP (North West Frontier Province), and the like. His writing touches on Rajaji's opposition to the Quit India Movement, the influx of Emergency Commissioned British and Indian officers and its effect on "imperialist die-hard civil servants and the military establishment", the feelings in the Indian Army about the INA trials, the "lack of expertise in military affairs" in the Congress Party, and the like. His story in the above book begins thus: OPENQUOTE I was born on 15 May 1923 in Karachi, a small port with a cosmpolitan population; a majority of Sindhi Muslims, many Sindhi Hindus, some Hindus from elsewhere in India, a few Christians and Parsis, and a sprinkling of Jews. The Christian element consisted mainly of people from Goa who had begun migration to British-administered regions from the early 19th century onwards for economic reasons. Whole villages under intrepid leaders would set off to East Africa, Calcutta, Bombay and Karach in search for a better life. Males would form the advance guard. If things worked out well, they would be followed then [by] their women. CLOSEQUOTE Lt Vas features in *Floreat Saligao* (May Saligao Flourish) by C. Hubert de Souza, and the centenary sourvenir (1873-1973) of the Mae de Deus Church, Saligao, focussing on prominent village-expats. Goa Today wrote in September 1981: "After the Partition of India, he joined the renowned 9th Gorkha Rifles with whom he fought the Kashmir Operations and subsequently he commissioned a brigade during the 1965 Indo-Pak War. Thereafter he held all the coveted command and staff appointments up the ladder, both in war and peace, during his brilliant Army career, culiminating in his command of the Eastern Army as the GOC-in-C. "In this position, he had to handle the most explosive and politically-sensitive issues of Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and other tribal areas in the East, besides being responsible for the defence of our North Eastern and Eastern frontiers. He was awarded the Param Vashist Seva Medal (PVSM) in 1977 for distinguished service of the highest order, both in war and peace. "General Vas comes from a family of many illustrious people and soldering has also been earlier in the family. His uncle Alec Vas, who was studying law at the Inner Temple in London, joined the Army when World War I broke out and died in the Battle of the Somme. His eldest uncle Joe Vas was the first Goan ICS officer. He was in the Bengal Cadre. He died and is buried at Khulna (now Bangladesh). "Joe Vas' daughter Joan is married to A.L. Dias, also ICS, who was later Governor of Bengal. General Vas' charming wife Maureen also has a martial background, being the daughter of a retired Commander, Indian Navy, who hails from Pilerne in Goa." Thanks to O.L da Lapa-Soares (former executive secretary of the Goa Chambers of Commerce and Industry, ph 98-832-2407023 or 9822151995) of Pilerne, the brother-in-law of Vas, for passing on the news.