CECIL RAMSINGH was a great lover of politics as he was of sports, in particular cricket. As such, he was quite well known, personally, from his youth to adult life by the best known political and sports personalities of Guyana.

Think Cheddi and Janet Jagan and Forbes Burnham–all now deceased–and you will be correct about the politicians with whom he worked, socialised, supported and criticised, or opposed. 

Equally popular with some of the best and famous in the game of cricket–think of legends like Clive Lloyd and Lance Gibbs for a start–Cecil, also known by the teasing name of ‘Weasel”, died of a heart attack on September 17 in Miami, Florida. He was 82.

Today, a funeral service, organised by his daughter Titanya, whom he once admitted was “the apple” of his eye, is scheduled to take place at the Cabellero Rivero Woodland Funeral Home in Miami where a close family friend, Kelly-Ann Cartwright, will deliver the eulogy.

Titanya, who lives with her own family in Miami and knows of my long friendship with her dad, said that arrangements were being made to have him cremated and the ashes taken to Guyana to be laid at the grave of his mother, Ada, in keeping with his wish.

I never asked him how he came to be known also as “Weasel”, the small nimble animal defined in the dictionary to be “ferocious and carniverous”. I recalled him as quite an amiable fellow, who could also be quite irascible in discussions on party politics and personalities.

I recall observing revealing moments with him and Burnham socialising at their once favourite watering hole, the old Woodbine Hotel, without myself being a participant. They kept company, teasing and even cussing out each other, long after the fondly called ‘Odo’ became the powerful ‘Kabaka’ in firm control as Executive President of Guyana. 

Burnham, like Cheddi and Janet Jagan, would have had some fond recollections of the tall, skinny romantic Ramsingh from the early days of a then united People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

There was both warm friendship and tension in the relations that existed between him and Burnham and the Jagan duo. Some of his close associates cheerfully recall aspects of his romantic life that extended to four wives. Not a matter of interest here.   

Yesterday, in response to my question how would Cecil Ramsingh be remembered by the PPP, General Secretary Donald Ramotar, lost no time in stating:  

“As a most outstanding party stalwart, one of the foundations on which our party has developed through the years since he was there from the beginning…” Ramotar also recalled Cecil’s “faithful commitment” to the party and the New Guyana Company (publisher of the party-backed weekly “Mirror”. 

Those who also knew him in the field of sports would recall that when the cricket season came around–national, regional and certainly international, politics had to compete for his time and attention.

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) comendably remembered the contributions Cecil made through the years and most certainly in serving as a liaison officer during the visits of international teams, most recently for Cricket World Cup 2007.

In extending “deepest condolences” to his widow, relatives and friends, the GCB said in a media statement earlier this week, that Ramsingh’s “comments on the game, his constructive criticisms and his recollection of significant events, on and off field, will be sorely missed…”

Cecil had left Guyana in failing health to visit his daughter (Titanya) and son (Cecil Ramsingh Jr) and their children and also to seek further medical attention         As explained to me in a note from Titanya, “Dad” was making one of his usual yearly visits to them , and although ill, insisted on turning up.

“I was shocked to see how he looked, He was very weak and had difficulties walking…” lamented the distraught Titanya

On September 10 she accompanied her dad to the doctor and awaited results while he was planning to visit her brother and family in Delaware. He did not make it. On Thursday morning, September 17, after taking some juice and seeing his daughter leave to take her kids to school, Ramsingh went back to bed. He never woke up.

The lover of sports and politics, the ‘weasel’, the guy who was a big party-going fan, passed away in bed, diagnosed as suffering a heart attack. Miami, Titanya agreed, was not where he wanted to die, but in Guyana. His ashes will be here.