Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 1 November 2008 No. 365
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Dear Friends,
Now various emails.
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Re: MSB Old Boys Database - May 21, 2008
Nigel P. Boos
Thursday, June 19, 2008 9:46:30 AM
Dear Andres,
How nice to hear from you.
Thank you for the adjustments you suggested.
I've already made them, so they'll be coming out with the next submission.
Please keep in touch.
Look me up if you ever come to Canada for a visit.
Nigel
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On 18-Jun-08, at 4:34 PM, Andrés Freites wrote:
Dear Nigel,
I am taking your word.
Line 296 of your fine database seems to need some adjustment.
I am Andres Freites (known as Freddy Freites back at MSB).
I live in Caracas. (Although I use a Yahoo/UK e mail address...just to keep up with soccer news and the such).
Attended The Abbey School years 1959 through 1961.
Have an old relation with triniland.
My grandmother (on mother's side) was trini herself. She was a Thomas.
This way since my early childhood I used to spend all my school vacations in the island with my mother's relatives.
When my father died in 1958 (I was 10 years of age) my mother left me in the abbey so that I would not lose that part of our family identity.
I recall amongst my relatives and friend families:
Bayne family (lived in Cascade had a house in Gasparee), the Mahon family, Monceaux, my mother's cousin Fifina Blonval married to a Tardieux (lived Victoria Ave. big house opposite the tennis courts).
Fifina was also former Abbot Alleyne's grandmother.
Many other names that now slip from my memories.
Your name seems familiar to me from school.
Thanks for you efforts building our Database. Please correct my line information.
Thanks again and best regards,
Andres ( Freddy ) Freites
My oldest daughter, son in law and two nieces live in North York , Ontario.
Home phone nbr. 416 421 1766. daughter's name : Alicia
----- Original Message ---------------------------------------------------------.
From: Nigel P. Boos <nigelboos@eagles-wings.ca>
Sent: Thursday, 22 May, 2008 5:29:34 AM
Subject: MSB Old Boys Database - May 21, 2008
Hello again, you guys,
Wow!
I've been going through all the circulars which Ladislao has sent us during the past few years, and what a wealth of information they contain!!
As a result of this search, I've found a number of names of "Old Boys" which I'd never known about previously, and as a result the total number of known past students of the Abbey School has swelled to 1032.
Of these, 61 of us have gone to their eternal rewards.
May they all rest in peace.
45 of us have either no email addresses or problematic email addresses.
And therefore, it turns out that we now have 290 valid email addresses for 970 known Old Boys of the Abbey School who are still alive –
i.e. 30%. Not bad. Not bad at all. But I feel we can do better. . . . . . . .
We've got 70% to go. . . . .
Various snippets of news within the Circulars have revealed hidden email addresses, home addresses, telephone numbers, etc., all of which are filed away for future reference, in case anyone is trying to contact someone else and perhaps can't get through by email.
Maybe I can help in such a case - just give me a shout, and I'll see what I can do.
I've amended many of our former records, and in each case, I've coloured the particular amended cells in yellow, to indicate that there has been a change since the last database spreadsheet was sent out.
I suggest that you simply discard all earlier spreadsheets and replace them with this one, which is really the most accurate.
I'd like to make two requests of you, please.
Would you mind checking for yourselves the years which I have assigned to you, for your attendance at the Mount ? In so many cases I've had to make a guess and I'm quite sure that I couldn't be that accurate, so yes - I'd appreciate your help, please.
Secondly, would you please look at the names of the boys who, I'm guessing, attended school at MSB at the same time as yourselves.
Then, would you mind making a good guess yourselves, as to when you think they were at the Mount and drop me a line to let me have your decisions?
I can be reached at: nigelboos@eagles-wings.ca
Thank you, everyone for your help with this project.
As always, if you find any mistakes in these records, please let me know.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Nigel Boos
(Class of 1960)
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Nigel P. Boos
Saturday, June 21, 2008 8:33:11 AM
Thanks for the pictures, Roger.
You look like you have a lovely family. And your daughter is a beaut!
Would love to take you up on the offer for a ride on Calypso II. However, we'll have to look at timings, etc. as we're scheduled to do some cottaging with friends, and my primary focus this summer has to be the setting up of a cake shop - if the banks will oblige.
I'll talk to Jackie and see what else she's got in the pipeline.
Would you mind if I use this picture of you and Ann on board the boat in our MSB publications?
Or do you have a close-up of yourself to offer?
Nigel
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On 21-Jun-08, at 7:42 AM, Roger Leekam wrote:
Nigel
A few recent pics as promised.
As I said, we're both lucky guys to have great families.
Give us a few days' notice, and perhaps all four of us can meet over a drink or food, or even take Calypso II out for a spin (if you don't get seasick).
I'm striving to become a competent photographer, with very modest success so far.
If interested, some of my images are on photo.net which is probably the oldest & best photography website -essential if you're at all interested in Photography.
Rather than type a long URL which I can never remember, Google my name and it should be close to the top.
Kind regards to you & family,
Roger
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"The Knight from "White Stones"
Glen Mckoy
Monday, July 21, 2008 12:57:55 PM
Dear Ladislao,
You are the most worked brother I know, I just can't imagine the amount of articles you have, I have more tales to come, but must wait for the tons of emails to slow down again, its good to see the brothers exchanging stores again.
I write only when it gets quiet, Ha! Ha!
What an excellent job by my loving brother Nigel,
Thank you again Ladislao for just being you.
You humble servant Glen.
Thank You for your inspiration
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Fw: RE: MSB Circulars !!!
Ladislao kertesz
Thursday, July 31, 2008 6:24:29 PM
Hi Don, CheChe et al
I have been swamped with work and work-related matters over the last several weeks but have never-the-less been enjoying reading the various exchanges of e-mail correspondence.
Indeed I have not heard anything about the proposed re-union.
I guess it’ll have to wait until later in the year..
Regards,
Dennis.
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April 27, 2005
My dear Ladislao:
Greetings in Jesus name and thanks a million for all the wonderful informational work that all your circulars are doing and providing for all of us.
The “Mount” remains an unforgettable institution in the lives of all of us who were fortunate to be part of its history.
These few notes, handwritten instead of being typed in a computer convey a sense of brevity in order to send this off to you quickly.
So I do not intend to be lengthy here.
But I want to embrace this opportunity to enclose the attached little donation to assist you in you wonderful work.
It is my hope that it would emphasise several things, such as how much I appreciate your Circulars also my tardiness or inability to contribute many articles (I hope later on to do better in this regard) and my thanks for providing me with at least the e-mail of so many “old Boys” whom I intend to write when more time allows me to do so.
I have been in close touch with Dr. David Bratt and his family in Trinidad.
I also had the opportunity to meet with Mervyn Assam as well as Fr. Benedict and Bro. Rupert.
I can also in the process of purchasing a house in Trinidad where, God willing I hope to spend time.
Hoping to split my time between the U.S. and Trinidad.
I am also in close touch with Abbot John Perreira of the Mount, so busy as I am, I have not been completely out of the “Loop”.
That is all for now Ladislao and I ask our dear Lord to bless you and your family abundantly.
Your Lionel
(formerly Brother Vincent)
Now: Deacon Lionel V. Roberts.
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From: Lionel & Merlene Roberts
Date: 7 May 2005 03:15 (PDT)
My dear Ladislao,
--My God what a surprise!
Well yes you have found the Lionel Roberts.
I am so happy to hear from you, and hopefully by this means I could be in contact with so many ot my former students and precious comrades.
It seems that you have put together a newsletter which I would be most eager to receive.
I have been hungry for news of as many of you as possible and now thanks to you this might be possible.
I shall not be long in this communication, as I regard it as reintroduction to a whole generation of friends and former students which almost tragically was almost passing by.
Suffice it to say that I visited the Mount in early January, and had lunch with the new Abbot and remaining monks.
My wife Merlene was with me and what a thrill it was to us.
Thoughts and fond memories come cascading back to me of those days of yore.
On that occasion I met with Brother Rupert who gave me Isaias Farcheg"s address.
I promptly wrote him, but to date have not been graced with a reply.
I hope that I would more successful with!
In my next communication with you I hope to provide you with more information about me and my family.
God has been good to me and my family.
You will be happy to know That I remain within the bosom of the church,
Two years ago I celebrated my Silver Anniversary Of my Ordination as a Catholic Deacon.
But more of anon.
Ladislao how beautiful it is to hear from you..please reply promptly.
God bless you and your family my friend.
NB:I will be sending you a picture of myself and my wife soon.
Love
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From: Lionel & Merlene Roberts
Date: 7 May 2005 03:31 (PDT)
Ladislao,
I was delighted to receive your communication and pictures so I sat down and drafted such a long reply to you - somehow I seem to have lost it, did you by chance receive it?
Please let me know, but, yes, you have found me, Lionel, should you get this, please let us keep in touch and reply as soon as possible –
warmest regards –
Lionel Roberts
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BROTHER VINCENT--LIONEL ROBERTS IS VERY MUCH ALIVE
david decastro
Friday, October 31, 2008 3:57:27 PM
HI LADISLAO,
PLEASE ADVISE EVERYONE THAT BROTHER VINCENT--LIONEL ROBERTS IS VERY MUCH ALIVE.LIVING IN FLORIDA.
"THE BANDIT"
(I have looked him up and here is the news, I am sorry that he does not answer the emails and has forgotten his ALUMNI. Ed.)
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A COPY OF A NEWSPAPER AND REPORT.
ST. PETERSBURG | On election days, Deacon Lionel Roberts’ car shows his dedication to God and community.
Resting on the dashboard in the front window, an “Elections Official” sign marks him as a man with political responsibility.
Inches away, a blue rosary hangs from the rear view mirror.
Originally from Trinidad, Deacon Roberts has worked election days for years — first as a resident of New York, now in Florida.
In several precincts in south St. Petersburg, he oversees polling sites, checking on them throughout the day to make sure all is running smoothly.
If it isn’t, he works to solve the problem.
Deacon Lionel Roberts, who was born in Trinidad and raised in Guyana, retains a trace of a British accent even though he has lived in the United States since 1969.
Roberts, 61, says he has always been a ``very religious`` Catholic.
After serving in the British Army during World War II, he entered a Benedictine monastery in Trinidad and spent 14 years as a monk.
But the cloistered, contemplative life of a Benedictine gradually lost its appeal, he says.
The Vatican granted him a dispensation to release him from his vows.
He subsequently married and moved to Brazil, where he worked for several years for the Alliance for Progress, the U.S. development program initiated by President Kennedy.
In his job as administrative assistant to the director, he helped to implement the construction of roads and water systems in underdeveloped areas.
After their two sons were born, Lionel and Merlene Roberts moved back to Trinidad, where he got a job as a salesman for a U.S. pharmaceutical company - a position that led two years later to their emigration to New York City.
Life in the United States has been good for the family, Roberts says.
His wife worked for many years as a personnel specialist at the United Nations.
His son Larry, 24, is a Princeton University graduate and a chemical engineer for the Xerox Corp. in Rochester, N.Y.
Son Chris, 22, a recent graduate of Cornell University, is an electrical engineer for Honeywell and lives with his parents in St. Petersburg.
Through all his years in New York, Roberts said, he never lost his close ties to the Roman Catholic Church.
When his parish in Brooklyn announced plans for a training program for deacons, Roberts was among the first to apply.
A Catholic deacon, he explains, is an ordained clergyman, just below the rank of priest, who can be married while serving the church.
Most deacons complete their training on a part-time basis while employed in secular jobs, and most serve the church as volunteers or part-time clergy after ordination.
Their tasks can range from assisting in the Mass to parish outreach and administration.
Even when they are employed full-time by the church, the compensation for deacons is generally much lower than for comparable jobs in the secular world.
For Roberts, becoming a deacon ``was a good opportunity for me to be involved in the church in an intimate way while still carrying on my duties as a husband and father.``
After 4 1/2 years of part-time study, he was ordained in 1977 with the first class of deacons at St. Jerome's Parish in Brooklyn.
He served the parish in a number of positions, including pre-Cana (marriage preparation) counsellor and volunteer director of the church's outreach program, until his retirement from the pharmaceutical firm and his move to Florida in 1984.
Since coming to St. Petersburg, Roberts has served as manager of the diocesan real estate office and later as director of administration.
For nearly a year, he has been involved in establishing the new Office for Black Catholics.
Roberts views his present post as one more opportunity to remain close to his church. ``A deacon is a servant,`` he said, ``to be found where he is needed.``
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That is for now, till the next one,
I have read the emails until August 2008, so I still have lots to do.
Your article shall be read, patience.
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08UN0001BVISP, Bro. Vincent in St. Petersburg.
58LK0001BVIBAS, Bro Vincent playing Basket fifty year ago.
59NB0004GRP, A photo of UNKNOWN from Nigel Boos.
08RL0001RLE, The best I could do, Roger.
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