– Leaders reflect on the life of ‘fireball’ Philomena Sahoye-Shury

By Cindy Parkinson
DEATH leaves a permanent void in life that no one can ever fill, but beauty comes from a life well lived. A limb has fallen from the family tree, but the idea was never to live forever but to paint a masterpiece that will.

Guyana has lost a daughter of the soil, a trailblazer, a true leader, a fighter, and a strong, fearless and independent woman who has helped in the transformation of communities and people across the nation.

Philomena Sahoye-Shury, a long-time member and supporter of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and a former Member of Parliament, passed away on Sunday at her residence.

She was well known as the “Fireball”, a nickname she earned while serving as the General Secretary of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU).

She also served in many capacities, including as a Member of Parliament, Georgetown City Councillor, and PPP/C Central Committee member. Regardless of the challenges faced in the quest for what she believed in, Philomena never gave up.

Hundreds attended the “Night of Reflection” for Sahoye-Shury hosted at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), Liliendaal to pay their respects to Comrade Philomena for the role that she had played in their lives, both personally and professionally. Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy, was the chairperson for the event.

Philomena’s daughter, Donna, in her brief remarks, described her mother as “a very forceful and strong woman” who was fearless in life and someone who was “always fighting for the underdog”.

She asked that the people of Guyana join President, Dr Irfaan Ali and his “One Guyana” vision, a goal her mother supported. Donna thanked the people for their overwhelming support during this time.

President Ali described himself as a “lucky” person to have associated with Comrade Philomena for as long as he did. He described her as a “challenging person” who was never satisfied with where she was at.

According to President Ali, Comrade Philomena excelled in everything that she did as she was very loyal to the task at hand. He went on to say that he and Comrade Philomena travelled the country to get the work done.

The President quipped that even though she was as hardworking and dedicated to the job, she had a love for tobacco. She is, however, better remembered for her natural way of helping people, regardless of their ethnicity.

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo expressed his condolences to the daughter and other family members, recognising Philomena for standing up for the people of Guyana, especially for women’s empowerment.

Dr Jagdeo said Philomena ushered many women into politics, giving them a voice. He also echoed the call of former President, Donald Ramotar, to incorporate Guyana’s history and heroes into the educational system so that the younger generation can know of people like Philomena.