Dear Editor,
In honour of Uncle Eddie’s Home’s fiftieth (50th) anniversary celebrated in May 2025, I wish to remember those who served unstintingly.
These unsung heroes of whom I speak have all passed on. Sister Alma Rose in 2001; Mrs. Viola Burnham, OR, in 2003; Mrs. Irmin Bourne in 2011; Mrs. Terry Mc Andrew and Nurse Melvern Bacchus in 2012; Mrs. Rita Mc Ewan, January 12th, 2015; Mrs. Evon Moonsammy, January 15th, 2015; Dr. Enid Denbow, CCH and Ms. Sybil Patterson, AA, in 2017; Nurse Lynette Pearce, MS, November 2019; and Mr. William ‘Hans’ Barrow, MS, June 2020.
With the passing of these eleven (11) great souls, eight (8) of them, Sister Alma Rose, 25 years of service; Mrs. Irmin Bourne, 13 years of service; Mrs. Terry Mc Andrew, 18 years of service; Nurse Melvern Bacchus, 11 years of service; Mrs. Rita Mc Ewan, 11 years of service; Evon Moonsammy, 38 years of service, Nurse Lynette Pearce,15 years of service and Mr. William ‘Hans’ Barrow, 20 years of service, altogether totaling one hundred and fifty-one (151) years of service to the elderly at Uncle Eddie’s Home with Evon Moonsammy the longest serving employee with 38 years.
The other three (3) Mrs. Viola Burnham, Ms. Sybil Patterson and Dr. Enid Denbow, served, among others, as founder members, their years of service are undetermined.
I choose to highlight the longest serving employee, Mrs. Evon Moonsammy who started her career at Uncle Eddie’s Home Long-term Care Facility in October 1975 at the age of 19 years in the capacity of Head Cook and continued serving in this position until her resignation in October 2013 after having given 38 years of long and dedicated service to the care of the elderly.
I came to know Evon in 2011 when I joined the Committee of Management. It didn’t take our new Committee long to recognize and understand that she was a valued employee and, at the time, the lone institutional memory who was at the Home from its inception when it opened its doors to the first resident, Ms. Ivy Edghill, in June 1975. Evon had the privilege of serving the first resident in a spanking new institution for the elderly.
Evon became a foundation pillar for the institution, and we would say the Home evolved and developed around her. She saw it develop from its embryonic stage to become a full-fledged institution catering to a maximum occupancy of 60 residents.
Evon served under the first Matron/Administrator, Sister Alma Rose and with the passing of Sister Rose in 2001 after 25 years of service, some very important records were left in Evon’s care until the arrival of Mrs. Rita Mc Ewan in 2001 who was recruited to serve in the position of Matron/Administrator until her retirement in October 2012.
When we wanted to know and understand the history of the Home, Mrs. Mc Ewan would ask us to consult with Evon since she was, at the time, the lone institutional memory and could provide facts and figures needed.
Evon’s work was a labour of love that obviously brought her satisfaction and fulfilment, causing her to remain with the profession in the same institution for 38 years. We have learnt that it takes a special kind of person to work with the elderly for many years. What a career! Those of us who have served on the committee of management came to understand the depth of service required to serve the elderly. It is a service of love to care for humanity in their last years and to the end of their lives. Compassion, patience, understanding, respect and confidentiality and much more are some of the qualities required for this noble profession to preserve their dignity. Evon loved her job and said she would choose to do no other job but that of serving and caring for the elderly. Guyana owes her and her family a debt of gratitude for the many grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles and other relatives of her fellow Guyanese she has cared for over those 38 years. Her name would forever be synonymous with the Home and etched in the annals of its history. She will be remembered for her untiring service.
A feature of Evon’s service was her regular home invitations to four of the residents: Evelyn aka Lyn Holder, Dereck Fraser; Harry Persaud aka Uncle Harry and Wendy Wiltshire, the latter two are now deceased, while Lyn and Dereck continue to reside in the Home.
Evon on her off days she would from time to time have them spend an entire day with her and her family with one of those days being January 1, 2015, the same month of her passing. This was indicative of her love for the profession – she was not happy to be away from them but rather to be with them that she took them close to her bosom and allowed them to enjoy her home with her and her family.
While Evon was an employee and so too were Mrs. Mc Ewan, Mrs. Bourne, Nurse Bacchus, and Nurse Pearce, we echoed the same sentiments to those volunteers named above and deceased who served in their respective capacities in voluntary service to the elderly be it founding members and/or management committee members. We salute them for their long and dedicated service to have cared for the elderly in our nation.
In this fiftieth (50th} anniversary year we celebrate the memory of the main unsung hero Mr. Edward Holford aka Uncle Eddie who was able to fulfill, in 1975, his dream of a Retirement Home for the seniors of the country of his birth, Guyana. Sadly Mr. Holford passed away soon after the opening of the Home. May his vision of a noble work and outstanding contribution to his country never die but live on for generations to come.
Today we honour his legacy and achievements realized through Evon Moonsammy and those mentioned in these memorabilia, and all others who served alongside them together with those who continue to serve over these fifty (50) years; and those currently serving. Uncle Eddie’s Home is a respected household name. We thank God that the dream and vision of Mr. Edward Holford, a son of Guyana’s soil, was realized that in 2025, fifty years (50) on, this Home continues to be of service to the citizens of our beautiful Guyana.
Memorabilia speak to us about our heritage, intent, sacrifice and even a sense of responsibility to continue what someone has started. The monuments in our nation are designed to speak to us and cause us to remember what it cost for our nation to exist. These memorabilia speak to elicit from us actions consistent with the sacrifices of those who prepared the way for us.
Long live the memory of Guyanese Mr. Edward Holford, who hailed from the county of Berbice. I trust that any remaining relative of Mr. Holford reading these memorabilia would receive this as an honour to his memory.