I am profoundly saddened at the passing of Former Deputy Mayor and Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Georgetown City Council, Mr. Robert Williams, who died yesterday morning in the Caribbean Heart Institute (CHI) at Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH). Williams had been a patient there since December and his death is not only a great loss to the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), but to the entire country.
From my close and personal interaction with Mr. Williams, especially during my stint as Commissioner of the Board of Inquiry into the affairs at City Hall, I have found him to be a professional and a thorough gentleman with laudable principles.
He was extremely cooperative during the Inquiry and I would not have been able to conclude my report without his support.
Mr. Williams had always been willing to provide information and we worked very closely during this Inquiry at City Hall. He was also the lead person I was working with in terms of implementing the recommendations.
I also fully agree with others paying tribute to Williams that he had a “phenomenal memory” and was his own “walking encyclopaedia of events” in the municipality.
Williams will be remembered for his unwavering efforts and commitment to address the challenges at City Hall and help rid the city of its seemingly perennial garbage scourge and restore Georgetown to the pride it was in the past – when it was dubbed the ‘Garden City’.
Guyana has lost a loyal son and faithful servant of especially Georgetown. Williams remained strong, determined and focused to the very end. He will be sadly missed.