FORMER Guyana youth cricket captain Keith Aubrey Aaron, who was also a distinguished Guyana scholar, passed away over the last weekend in New York.
Aaron represented the Guyana Colts against England at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground, Bourda in March 1968. He also led the Guyana Under-20 team to victory in the annual regional British American Tobacco youth competition in Trinidad & Tobago in 1969.

The wicketkeeper-batsman was also a staunch member and player of Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) and after migrating to the USA, featured prominently as an executive and player of Atlantis Cricket Club, serving as treasurer in the club’s executive committee.

After attending Central High School, Aaron moved to Queen’s College from 1965 to 1968, making an immediate impact. His departure was described as a “noble one” in the prestigious school’s magazine.
Aaron was the Form Prize Winner in 5RB and also served as captain of the Queen’s College Wight Cup team and later vice-captain of the Northcote side.

In 1966-1967, he was Corporal in the Queen’s College Cadet Corps and was later promoted Company Sergeant Major.
As Deputy Head of Percival ‘A’ House, he was also vice-captain of the athletics team while being House and School Prefect.

According to former president for the Queen’s Chapter in New York and Chairman of the Queen’s College Board, Alfred Granger, “Aaron was a giant in many ways. Unless you were there when he arrived in 1965, you would have no idea that he was not an original Queen’s College boy. He was loved and revered by our community as any student.”

In a Facebook post, colleague Mark Kirton described the late Aaron “as a gentle giant – caring, humble and always willing to offer sound advice while Gordon Williams pointed out that he was “a brother who had a quality to wine and dine with the higher echelons, prince and princes and at a moment be down in the trenches with you. Oh that smile could charm a cobra!”

Following a wake on Thursday, July 8, there will be a viewing and service on Saturday, July 10 in New York. A repast will be held immediately after. (Frederick Halley)