FOLLOWING a brief illness, Guyanese folklorist, Pauline Thomas, known as “Aunty Comesee,” passed away peacefully on Saturday at a Toronto hospital, fourteen days after celebrating her 104th birthday.
The famous storyteller and singer who thrilled audiences in Guyana and Toronto, Canada with her unique style over the years, still maintained her mellow voice, sounding as though she didn’t age a bit during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle when she turned 103 on February 8 last year.

Thomas also revealed then that her academic achievement at the age of 79, which saw her earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in World Religion from the University of Toronto at the insistence of her daughter Dawne, remains a life-long and fulfilling experience.
In 2021, when she achieved 100, Thomas received a congratulatory certificate from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, reserved for all Canadian citizens who achieve that milestone. The certificate, signed by the Prime Minister, read: “It is a great pleasure to send you best wishes and warmest congratulations on the occasion of your 100th birthday.”

Thomas was also a former member of The Bishops’ High School Old Girls Choir, which she taught for several years.
Born at Fellowship, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, on February 8, 1921, “Auntie Comesee” was a household name in Guyana, featuring prominently at the Theatre Guild, while her thrice-weekly creolese skits heard on the Guyana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) were massive hits.
Thomas’ contributions and achievements in the art form, both in Guyana and Canada, were exceptional. A singer of repute, Thomas was also a member of the University of Toronto choir during her academic pursuit there.
Prior to leaving Guyana, Thomas worked as a teacher, a profession she joined at age 16, performing duties at Mahaicony Scots School and the Dolphin Government School before joining the Civil Service as a Child Welfare Officer, describing the latter as the most challenging job in her entire working life. She also worked as an Inspector at the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

A former member of the popular Woodside Choir in Guyana, Thomas performed with the Stadium Singers, a community choir in Toronto and the Chamber Singers and was also an avid churchgoer at the Main Street Church of the Nazarene.
Thomas’ several awards include the African Canadian Achievement in Arts as a classical singer and actor in 2000; the Guyana Folk Festival Award from the Guyana Cultural Association of New York in 2007; the GAMA Storyteller and Actor Award in 2008; and the Guyana Awards (Canada) for Media and Culture, recognising excellence in 2008.

Thomas, who is predeceased by her husband Bevell, has two children: Wayne, a veterinary doctor who resides in Long Island, New York and Dawne, a retired deputy headmistress who taught at a Community High School in Toronto. (Frederick Halley)