Newsletter for
alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas,
31 of October 2020 No. 991
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Dear
Friends,
Nine more to go, nine issues to reach issue No. 1000.
Have you decided what to do after No. 1000??
Maybe shut down the Circular??
Is there any suggestion??
Do you want me to continue?? But to continue
there is a need for funds.
Interesting facts: Remember that Google uses my
information when you make a search, just type in your name, and look at the
results.
If you appeared once in the Circular, you will find it
recorded.
In all cases a photo that was published will appear in
images.
The Circular has been important in gathering Oldboys
for those who did not known that the Circular Newsletter existed.
So, decide the future of this Circular.
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Another
sad notice announcing that Richard O´Connor has departed.
From: idmitch@anguillanet.com
Sent: Saturday, 24 October 2020 06:47
My dear Elspeth,
I was saddened to learn from Nigel of
Richard’s recent death.
I am so sorry for your loss.
Please accept sympathies flowing to you
from far away Anguilla.
With all best wishes,
Don
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From: Nigel Boos
<nigelboos@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, 24 October 2020 05:59
Fr. John,
You had asked me whether I knew a
Richard O’Connor who had died.
Well, here’s the response of his dear
wife, Elspeth (nee Lange) with a full play-by-play explanation of Richard’s
passing away in Australia a few days ago.
Shish,
Thanks for doing the research and
finding the news of Richard’s death.
We seem to work well as a team.
Thank God for our Catholic faith, with
which we can put to rest all normal fears and concerns we might have after a
loved soul passes on.
And thank God for Jesus’ ultimate
personal sacrifice, through which we are assured of our eternal salvation.
May Richard’s soul now rest happily,
peacefully, in the love and glory of Almighty God.
Elspeth,
Thank you for your welcome remarks
referent Richard’s life, family, sufferings and death.
You’ve said it all and need say no more.
I’m passing this email onto the MSB Old
Boys, for their information and interest.
Guys,
Another OB has gone home.
Please let’s remember him and his family
in our prayers.
Nigel
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From: Elspeth O'Connor <pethrich@westnet.com.au>
Date: October 23, 2020 at 8:45:30 PM EDT
So sorry Nigel that I did not email you
to tell of Richard’s death.
We had his funeral, and it was a
wonderful celebration of his life.
I believe the link is still active so
will attach here plus a little synopsis of what happened as it was very quick,
peaceful and pain free, just as Richard would have wanted to go.
I am doing well and feel in some ways a
sense of relief as I would not have made a very good nurse had he recovered
from his hospital stay!!
Guess the loneliness might set in later
but my Faith has sustained me and I know He/She is looking after me as the
support from all has been tremendous.
Apologies again. Love and thanks.
Elspeth
Hi All, Please excuse me writing a joint email
to you all but it makes my life easier this way so addressing most of the
Devenish clan and a few others.
First of all I have been overwhelmed by
the incredible support and love coming from all parts of the world and it is
wonderful to have everyone’s love and support.
Here, I have also had a huge amount of
love and support from family members, grandchildren, friends and extended
family so feel truly blessed.
Just thought I would fill you in with
Richard’s last few days as he went in such an incredibly short time.
I could see that he was getting more and
more frail and life was becoming more difficult for him but he was coping
reasonably well with his walker for short walks around the village and he had
decided on his own to give up his driving licence in June, much to his credit!
However, he had shortness of breath,
coughing etc. chronically, signs of cardiac heart failure (he had a pacemaker
since 2012).
In early September he develop gout in
his second toe in right foot and GP was not certain that was what it was so he
was admitted to Fiona Stanley Hospital for two days and a night while they
assessed the situation with X-rays etc. and decided it was gout and sent him
home after treatment with Colchicine tablets and told me to contact the GP in
two weeks for further gout treatment.
Then they found his kidneys were
struggling a bit with the diuretics for taking fluid off the heart.
His cough was getting worse and his
shortness of breath so decided to take him to the Dr., for assessment and she
advised going into hospital for that.
He walked into the Emergency Department
at about 3.15pm on 2nd October and I was there with him till about 11.15 at
night when they decided to admit him telling us they thought he had had a heart
attack and it was complicated.
We never knew he had had that, just a
slight pain on Thursday before.
In hospital his cough worsened and he
got pneumonia.
We told them when he was admitted that
he did not want any invasive procedures and NO resuscitations so they had a job
persuading him to have an Angiogram to see damage to his heart, however, he was
never able to have it as his cough would not allow them to do it.
By the end of the week we could see he was
losing the battle as when they took the fluid off his lungs and heart the
kidneys did not like it and vice versa.
Drs. then asked me when he was semi
conscious what I wanted to do and I told them exactly what we had said when we
came into the ED department,
On the Saturday morning (10th) he was
semi conscious, quarrelled that I was taking too long to come in, gave me a
tight, strong hug and he asked for Prayers, then half an hour later he said “I
want to say goodbye” and he never spoke after that and he died peacefully on
Monday morning at around 7am.
The children and grandchildren organised
that two people would be with him at all times from the Saturday morning and
that way I would be free to come and go as I wanted.
I went home Sunday evening when Gillian
and Brenda left I left with them, and Shannon and Megan took over.
I woke at 2 am and went back into the
hospital to chat with Megs and Shan as I had not had a chance to do so since
they arrived from Broome.
They left at 6am and Liam and Lauren
came in, Lauren dressed for work that day, and they were with me when Richard’s
breathing suddenly changed, and he just dropped his head to the side and I felt
he had gone.
So I went and called the nurse and she
called the Doctor who then confirmed he had died.
Lauren never went to work that day as it
was a very emotional experience for all of us present.
It was wonderful that as soon as the
grandchildren working away, up North heard, they all arrived.
Two from Broome, Liam and Matt from Port
Hedland and Steven from Karratha.
Only Kirstie who was in Melbourne did
not get here in time because of the Covid restrictions, she heard when she
touched down in Perth and had to go into quarantine for two weeks, however,
they allowed her to go to the funeral with a mask and social distancing as she
has been in lockdown in Melbourne for months.
So as you can see from the above,
Richard was more than ready to go, knew what was happening and welcomed it.
All the family were on the same page
which made it easier for me and their help and support of not only them but
lots of extended family and friends have made it all so much easier.
Sorry you all did not get a chance to
say goodbye but he went the way he wanted and that was good and a great relief
for me as not sure if I would have made a very good nurse.
Geoffrey’s eulogy at the funeral and the
children’s tributes to him were all excellent and had a bit of humour.
Richard clearly outlined from years ago
what he wanted and what he did not want.
He did not want a eulogy and photos but
I told him I was going to overrule him on that as Funerals are for the living
not the dead and I wanted both as that is the best part of the funeral!!
We went straight from the Church to the
“wake” on his request and he went to the Crematorium and then they will collect
his ashes and give them to me.
Today Christian graduates from High
School and he has exams next week and I was supposed to go but because of Covid
the school is only allowing parents to be there (nonsense in light of the
funeral Mass) so I have spent the day answering emails etc. and went out to
lunch with Esmond and Frances Ann and Gillian came over this afternoon, so you
can see I am still being well looked after.
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On 24 Oct 2020, at 4:04 am,
Nigel Boos <nigelboos@gmail.com> wrote:
Elspeth,
A little bird flew by today and
whispered “Richard O’Connor has gone home.”
I do not know if this story is true or
false, so I’d really appreciate if you could confirm it or else, correct it.
We’d like to express our sympathy with
you and your family, if it is true.
Would you like to say a few words on
behalf of Richard, Elspeth, and let us know what arrangements have been /
are being made for his funeral and burial service?
Thank you very much in advance,
With respect,
Jackie and Nigel Boos
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Csaba Jakobszen
Wed, 28 Oct, 15:20 (2
days ago)
Dear George, Ladislao, Nigel and all the
other collaborators of the Circular.
My opinion is that all of you have done
an outstanding job in keeping all of us informed, cherishing our remembrances
of the MSB years and helping us to keep in touch with one another.
All these things are very very valuable
to all of us.
On the other hand I think enough is enough
and for the near future it would be sufficient to keep up a “compact circular”
only reporting any changes or important events in our lives.
Best regards
Csaba
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Asunto: RE: Circular No. 987,
The Abbey School MSB
Thanks, Nigel,
for your feedback and reflections.
Your personal contributions have been so unique, value adding
and distinctive too…….thanks a bunch for all you have contributed and done.
We hope and pray that your treatments and recovery process
continue on a positive path….that you are feeling better and stronger dear
brother.
Please be extra careful and stay healthy, safe and sound,
George
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From Nigel Boos
Sent: Monday, October 26,
2020 6:21 AM
George,
Your question and the timing of it are both topical and
worthwhile.
I find the general level of interest among the MSB OBs to be
rather pathetic and lethargic, and although I recognize and applaud the effort
being made by Ladislao Kertesz, Don Mitchell. Kazim Abasali, Joe Berment,
yourself and Csaba, and maybe just a few more regular contributors.
I realize that our membership is diminishing, with the deaths of
many of the older OB’s.
I think we’ve had a good run, all under the leadership of
Ladislao and you guys.
Your persistence in ”getting the news out” is noteworthy and
welcomed, but I don’t really know how much longer this can go on.
There is no general feeling of commitment among the younger set.
So, I thank you and the fellas named above for your marvellous
efforts on behalf of all of us.
If, as in all things, the time has come to close up shop,
perhaps issue #1000 of the Circular might be earmarked as the last of our
issues.
This would be a shame, but is seems inevitable in the long run.
God bless us all.
Nigel
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On Oct 26, 2020, at 7:04 AM,
GEORGE MICKIEWICZ <amickiew@att.net> wrote:
Hi Ladislao,
Great job amigo...am very appreciative of your passion and
dedication for this challenging task of keeping us globally informed &
connected through almost 2 decades.
For me, Your work is “priceless”, Laz.
Suggest that you switch to a monthly frequency only sharing
new/recent stuff.
Here are some of my biased opinions and feedback in no specific
order of priority; sadly its all negative:
We can only
personally relate mainly to those who attended during our years at the Mount;
even there we are probably talking about those who were there a few years ahead
and behind us.
E-Mails and
Blogs are no longer popular nor valued as a means of communications.
Everyone wants
it now, short and sweet – Twitter, FB, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other emerging
social media forms of “staying in touch every hour on the hour”.
Folks do not
seem to be interested any more in the history of the school nor of our alumni.
Very few are
contributing new materials.
The demise and
death of the ASAA is another indication of the lack of alumni interest.
No interest in
us from the Abbott nor other monks as far as I am aware.
Near term, C-19
has impacted the ability to get together and hold local reunions.
No responses to
a number different requests that I have made to alumni on different
topics/subjects.
General apathy.
No evidence of
any leadership emerging from those who attended our school in the 80s; the
natural inheritors of this effort after we “depart”.
Has anyone “volunteered” to take over Don’s blog role…..if I
recall correctly Don was looking for someone to do it….sorry if my recollection
is incorrect.
Hope that others will also respond with their feedback to your
guidance request.
Please be extra careful and stay healthy, safe and sound,
George
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EDITED by Ladislao Kertesz, kertesz11@yahoo.com, if you would like to be in the circular’s mailing list or any
old boy that you would like to include.
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Photos:
16LK5494FBLCH, Lindy Chu Cheong
49LK0013TEV, Trevor Evelym
60UN0012MSBEDI, Monastery
58RB0003b10, Fr. Cuthbert please make the correction
19LK9151FBNCH, Neil Charles
