MINISTER of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally; former leader of the PNCR, Mr Robert Corbin; Deputy Mayor of the City of Georgetown, Ms Patricia Chase-Green; and Region Six Chairman Mr David Armogan joined colleagues, friends and family members of New Amsterdam’s late Deputy Mayor, Mr Harold Debideen, on Thursday last to pay him their respects in his adopted hometown of New Amsterdam, where he had lived and worked for over forty years.

More than three hundred persons crammed the All Saints Anglican Church for the nearly-three-hour service that celebrated Debideen’s life and career.

Representing newly-elected President David Granger, Minister Ally remembered Debideen as the point man for the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) in Region Six.

“Whether it was an activity of APNU; whether it was an election, Harold has always pointed the way for his party, the People’s National Congress Reform…” Minister Amna Ally reminisced.

Earlier, mourners remained still as pall bearers Anma Ally; Mayor Claude Henry; former New Amsterdam Mayoress Barbara Pilgrim-Roberts; Former leader of the PNCR, Mr Robert Corbin; Regional Chairman David Armogan, and another escorted Debideen’s casket, draped with the PNCR flag, into the church.

“We are here today, hearts broken but yet with God’s strength, we celebrate the life of Harold Debideen,” Rev. Fr. Garfield Devellier told the congregation as he led the cortege to the altar of the church, which the late Debideen had attended periodically.

A group of elderly women seated on the southern wing opened the funeral with the song ‘Blessed Assurance’ as churchgoers echoed and swayed along.

Debideen’s sister, Elaine Hitnarine, and her family briefly held each other’s hands in the front row.

Minister of Social Protection, Ms Volda Lawerence; Corriverton IMC Chairman, Mr Bhawase Harripaul; representatives of New Amsterdam and the other municipalities, the Region Ten Democratic Council, the Central Board of Health; Representative of the Nazarene Churches; Regional Vice Chairman Mr Bhopaul Jagroop; Jevaughn Stephens; Former Magistrate Krishendat Persaud; Attorney-at-law Joswir Mizir; members of the business community and the citizenry were among mourners at the funeral.

Earlier, Mr Robert Corbin noted that despite the sudden passing of ‘a comrade’, he was consoled by the fact that Harold had enjoyed every season of his life. “He was a hard worker, a conscientious citizen who was concerned about New Amsterdam…,” Corbin said.

“When he became the Deputy Mayor, he pledged to work with the Mayor to make the town the cleanest in the country. At the time of his death, he was still working to have that achieved…,” Corbin disclosed.
Further, Corbin, who had shared a close relationship with the late Harold Debideen, said he was consoled by the fact that Debideen had been alive to witness the results of the May 11 elections, which brought about the change in administration that Debideen had been working for.

Mrs Patricia Chase-Green praised Debideen’s knowledge of the law, primarily Chapter 28:01, which are bylaws governing municipalities, along with the Deeds Registry, which guided her colleagues in court matters.

When New Amsterdam Mayor Claude Henry spoke, he had the congregation nodding their heads in agreement at various points as he reminisced on the working relationship they had shared with Debideen. Henry talked about how Debideen had been controversial at times, yet he had always had a passion for New Amsterdam, particularly to see it looking clean.

“…so after it was learnt that vehicles from outside the township were dumping garbage at the entrance of the municipal dump site, several meetings were held; and accompanied by Harold, we made a visit to the site on Friday…

“…at about 17:00hrs, I visited Harold at his King Street home to tell him that the garbage was still alight. He told me that he was attempting to prepare a meal, but the gas had left him in the half, and so he was going to get a bottle of gas to complete his meal… Two hours later, I got a call that he was dead,” Henry recounted, his voice cracking at the end.

Similarly, Regional Chairman David Armogan told the congregation that he was reading a book in bed when he got a text message from a security staff stationed at the New Amsterdam Hospital.

“The text stated that Deputy Mayor had passed away…I could not believe it. The fragility of life flashed before me as I thought of Harold, whom I first met 25 years ago when he came to sell me a fire insurance,” Armogan said.

Debideen’s brother-in-law, Rev Gaindalall Hitnarine, recounted with pride how his wife’s brother had started his life’s journey on March 26, 1949 at Brighton Village on the Corentyne.

He was preceeded by three sisters, and commenced working in 1968 on construction of the Palmyra-to-Skeldon main thoroughfare.
In 1972, he sought employment at the New Amsterdam Municipality as a Stores Clerk, before pursuing a part-time job as an insurance agent.

But Harold Debideen was not satisfied with his accomplishments, and made a failed bid to study law in an effort to join the legal fraternity with his relatives — Bhiro, Krishna and Krishendat Persaud. Nevertheless, he was not daunted by his failure, but contently worked in his cousin’s chambers, where he whetted his appetite with the knowledge of law, moreso the Municipal Act.

His wife Dolly had predeceased him. The couple had no children, but had loved and cared for several nieces and nephews.

Before singing, Billy La Bennett stared momently at the casket, then reworked the song ‘I did it my way’, which was made popular by Sammy Davis. Singing in a rich baritone, he changed the lyrics from, ‘I did it my way’ to ‘He did it his way’ in honour of Debideen.

The song resonated throughout the building, as did the cheers from the congregation as numbers of them reflected on how Debideen had lived his life.

This funeral service occurred exactly one week after the sixty-six-year-old Debideen, who had a way in getting things done, had died at the New Amsterdam Hospital from cardiac arrest.

Rev Fr. Devellier invited communicants and close relatives to join in sharing the sacred sacrament before returning down the aisle to lead the cortege out of the building, where members of the New Amsterdam Constabulary, dressed in ceremonial uniforms, lifted their batons to form an arch which made way for the pall bearers — this time relatives — to make their way through.

Thereafter, a youthful band of musicians led the way to the Stanleytown cemetery, some distance away, where the body was interred.