ACCLAIMED Journalist, Rickey “Ramoutar” Singh was laid to rest on Wednesday following an overwhelming outpouring of tributes by colleagues in the media fraternity, friends, and family in Barbados.

Singh was born on February 01, 1937, in then British Guiana, and passed away on July 05, 2025, at the age of 88 in Barbados, following a prolonged illness. The third of five children, Singh leaves to celebrate his life and incredible legacy his six children: Wendy, Donna, Debbie, Raoul, Allison, and Ramon, his 17 grandchildren: Rebekah, Russell, Danya, Kristen, Joshua R, Danielle, Michael, Miriam, Rashida, Sara, Gabrielle, Selima, Hannah, Joshua S, Sarah, Che and Jasmin, and his 12 great-grandchildren: Nathan, Aidan, Jamiyah, Jaiydan, Madeleine, Ava, Asher, Eliana, Alora, Gianna, Isabella and Iris.

He was married to the late Patricia Singh (Dolly), the love of his life for over 50 years until her passing some 10 years ago. His farewell and funeral service was held at the People’s Cathedral where he fellowshipped.

Singh’s career in Journalism spanned more than six decades of reporting and commentary on politics and world affairs. His first article was published at age 20, and his last was published in 2017, at age 80.

His career began as a general reporter, which changed to political reporting and later senior political reporter at the Guyana Graphic, now the Guyana Chronicle.
He was described as a man of service and faith, a devoted family man and committed Christian, and one of the most significant journalists of the independent Caribbean. Singh strived for equity, social justice, and responsible governance of the Caribbean people.

A colleague of Rickey, in her tribute, said Singh was at the top of the list of being a good journalist. She expressed that Singh was an outstanding and well-respected human being who made a lasting impact on the world of Caribbean journalism.

“He was fearless, and he worked tirelessly to uncover truths and bring them to light; especially when those truths were hiding behind political masks”, she said.
Adding, “Although we didn’t see eye to eye on all his opinions, he always insisted that we must be able to disagree without being disagreeable.”

Aside from his career, a close friend of his family, Yvonne Osman, wife of the late Raschid Osman, in her tribute, recalled that personally, Singh was one of her mentors.
Recalling the man Singh was, she went on to say that Singh lived his faith, and was not afraid to proclaim the truth. To his family, Osman urged them to let his legacy of service continue.
One of his grandchildren, in her brief tribute, reminisced on times spent with her grandfather. She related that for them (her siblings and cousins), they knew him as the man behind the pen, their grandfather who took care of them despite having his work to do.

“Using food as a conversation starter, he gave us a love for Guyana, and the Caribbean, because these places told a story of who we are; an extension of self. As a family with origins across the region, Granddad would say our nationality is first people of One Caribbean,” she stated.

In a written tribute to the iconic journalist, it was said, “He was selfless to a fault. He was a ‘carer’, lover, nurturer, mentor and very generous in his assumption of the good in everyone. As much as he was wedded to his work and fantasised that his “navel string” was buried in the body of water connecting the region, his great loves were his God, his wife Patricia “Dolly” and his children – in that order.”