Greatest patriot, son, grandson, husband, father, grandfather and human being
– So says loving wife
“I HAVE never seen him really angry in all the years I have known him. I have only known him to be upset about twice in that long duration of time.” That’s according to Mrs Yvonne Hinds, wife of Guyana’s prime minister and former president.
This calm, equable temperament has sustained through many challenging experiences and situations. Guyana’s best-beloved political leader who, although being a staunch Christian, is equally at home in the house of worship of any other denomination, and thus he lives and propagates his own religion through this acceptance and multi-faith worship, because he is not merely a spectator, but a participant in the prayers in the houses and occasions of faiths of other religions.
This in, and by itself indicates a quintessential greatness and goodness of soul, which may have been the result of his expectant mother’s urgent prayers to the Lord to deliver her of a good child, “washed in the blood of Jesus,” speculated Yvonne, who describes her husband as “almost perfect.”

‘I have never seen him really angry in all the years I have known him.  I have only known him to be upset about twice in that long duration of time’ – Mrs Yvonne Hinds

The young couple met at the home of the then Canadian High Commissioner, where Yvonne had been having tea with the gentleman’s wife when Sam, who attended the same university in Canada as their daughter on a Demba scholarship, having formed a bond with the family, passed by to say goodbye on his way back to Canada after vacationing at home in Guyana.
Yvonne says she was at that time focused on her self-development, and had no interest in boys, but Sam was such a gentleman and such an ardent pursuer that she grew attached to him after a while.
During those years, with no ready access to telephones, couples had to communicate through letters; so they discussed issues and everything else through letters, and thus had long cooling-off periods after disagreements. Yvonne said that after one such disagreement, she did not respond to his letters for a couple of months. He, however, maintained a one-way correspondence without once indicating that he was aware of her lack of response, until she eventually relented and resumed writing to him once more. In all that time, and subsequently, he never once mentioned or blamed her in any way for the disagreement that they had, merely accepted her right to disagree and moved on, which is an endearing trait that ensured that her marriage was one of blissful peace and consequent endurance.
What finally convinced Yvonne that Sam would make an exceptional husband was the strong bond he shared with his family, his caring love for his mother and grandmother, and the great respect that he showed to his elders. To this day, her mother-in-law is her greatest fan, because Yvonne never treated her as a rival, but as someone who shares her love with the most important man in her life, thus there has never been a rancour or cause for recrimination between the two women — just respect, which grew into great love, and Sam’s mother always tells her daughter-in-law that she (Yvonne) was the best thing that could have ever happened to her son, and that she is a blessing to the family.
However, Yvonne thinks that she is equally blessed in the man she chose to be her husband, because she has never had a moment’s unhappiness with him, and no marital strife; just a paean of joy running through their marital partnership, because he treats her as a true equal, and always puts her happiness, and that of their children, above anything else.
After their marriage in December of 1967, first daughter, Deirdre was born in January of 1970.  Sam once again fell in love, and Deirdre, now married with twin babies, became a ‘daddy’s girl’, who is passionately devoted to her father, and would brook no criticism of him, and those who do criticize her adored father discover that they have an enemy for life.
Three years later, in September of 1973, second daughter, Sonia, was born, with son Nikolai following eight years after Sonia’s birth. Not long after, second son, Vernon joined the family.
Yvonne says that although Sam had great responsibility and worked gruelling hours as a chemical engineer at the bauxite company, he took sole care of the babies in the nights after they had quit breastfeeding; and even during the period when she had to breastfeed them, her wonderful husband would sit in a position so that she could rest her back against him for a comfortable posture, so that her back would not hurt.
Yvonne said that her love for her husband during these times grew to overwhelming proportions because, at these times when women are at their most sensitive and extremely emotionally volatile, he was absolutely supportive and caring of her every need, as well as those of their babies.
Of his political life, Yvonne says that her husband, despite many opportunities and offers (because he had been an exceptional, award-winning student at his university in Canada, where he had been awarded an honorary doctorate,) never wanted to live outside of Guyana. According to her, despite all her periodic blandishments, he considers it a sacred duty to serve his country, because he says if everybody leaves, then no-one would be left to build their homeland.
She said when he met Dr. Jagan, the bond was mutual and immediately impactful, as though two brothers of the soul had come together through divine intervention. She describes her husband as the “black and younger counterpart to Dr. Jagan.” This writer, who knew Dr. Jagan well, and revered him absolutely, always felt the same.
Like Dr. Jagan, Sam is very accommodating, simple, humble to a fault, tolerant, and a wonderfully loving and dedicated family man with great value systems. He neither smokes nor imbibes alcohol, except for a rare sip to toast an occasion. He never swears, neither does he use  expletives.
Continuing to extol her husband’s virtues, Yvonne said her husband is an exceptional role model as a father, son, husband, grandson, grandfather, great patriot, and the ultimate human being.
He considers fatherhood a sacred responsibility, and an opportunity to nurture and foster good attitudes in children.
Yvonne says he has always been a good provider, who ensured all the needs of his family were met; that he is integrally a kind, caring person who disdains grand gestures and prefers simple things.
She stressed that he never pulls anyone down by word or deed, but instead always tries to lift others up through his words and actions.
As a father, she recalls his great devotion to his children, who were babies in the great days of nappies.  Sam used to launder and iron his babies’ nappies so that no insect would get into them, then lovingly fold them — dozens at a time.  Despite his busy work schedules, he always made time to help them with homework and projects, and to share in family fun-times. As a husband, she has no complaints whatsoever, because he is “par excellence.”
Sam is an even more devoted grandfather, who dotes on his children’s offspring, and continues to nurture them as he did his own babies, and wife Yvonne says that she would marry, all over again, this great, good, genuine human being, who gives his all and his best at all times.
Chronicle wishes this exceptional father, and the nation’s Prime Minister a Happy Fathers Day.