Circular No 1015

 

Newsletter for alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.

Caracas, 07 of May 2021 No.1015 May A

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Dear Friends,

Mother’s day in Europe, Do not forget!!!

And do not forget to subscribe to the Newsletter, if you would like to receive it direct from the EDITORs desk,

Your Venezuela help is appreciated due to the dire conditions here in

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Re: OBITUARY FOR GABRIEL BAPTISTE - RIP

Father Harold Imamshah <frharold12@gmail.com>

Mon, Feb 1 at 5:22 PM

What a legacy of an Abbey boy who enjoyed life.

Humbly,

Fr. Harold Imamshah

Servant of Mary for Jesus

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On Mon, Feb 1, 2021 at 8:22 AM

GEORGE MICKIEWICZ <amickiew@att.net> wrote:

Hi Andres and Attila,

Followed up on your note to find that Gabriel died in 2017…..QUE EN PAZ DESCANSE

Obituary for Gabriel Joseph Baptiste

GABRIEL JOSEPH BAPTISTE JR., 64 of Ogallala, NE, passed away Wednesday, March 29, 2017 at Great Plains Health in North Platte, NE.

Gabe was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey on October 16, 1952 to Gabriel Joseph and Julia Rose (Chesney) Baptiste.

At age 5, he and his family moved to Venezuela where his passion for music and electronics were soon evident.

There was no musical instrument he couldn't master (especially air-guitar, knee-drum and dashboard keyboard).

He attended The Abbey School in Tunapuna, Trinidad.

He earned his business degree from Benedictine College in Atchison Kansas, thus starting his life-long love of the mid-west.

He became Program Director for KIBZ The Blaze and loved being on the radio.

His abilities to increase ratings and listenership were proven in multiple markets.

This expertise, coupled with his bi-lingual abilities, opened the door to him launching South American television markets including MTV Latino and Telemundo and pioneering innovative technologies while in South Florida.

He was called to Los Angeles where he was involved in multiple TV and radio production projects.

His final career episode was here in Ogallala where in early 2015 he came to work for RCS doing bi-lingual tech support and creating marketing videos.

As for Gabe the man, he was intelligent, thoughtful, generous, mischievous, optimistic, humorous, loyal, and always humble.

He was a friend to all who met him, an artful listener and always made time for friends in need.

His storytelling was legendary, and his positive energy lit up whatever room he entered. He was a true gentle giant.

His departure has left a deep void in the hearts of his friends and his family who adored him.

Gabe was preceded in death by his parents.

Survivors include his two siblings Bibi Baptiste Pey, of Sydney Australia and Richard Baptiste of Vero Beach, Florida.

No services are planned at this time.

Please be extra careful and stay healthy, safe and sound,

George

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From: Attila GYURIS

Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2021 3:06 PM

Subject: Re: Andrés Larsen:

Hi Andres:

Yes, I remember very well Gabriel Baptiste and his radio shows during our afternoon shower sessions. 

I remember him broadcasting his “radio show” over the school loudspeakers while sitting in the former Prep A classroom in the ground floor of the west end of the school building. 

He was the only one that ever did that, and we all knew what career he was heading for when he “grew up”. 

I wonder if he made a full career in commercial broadcasting.

He certainly had the ability for it. 

I am the one who pinned the nickname “Gringo” on him when he first arrived, mainly because of his strong American-midwestern twang accent. 

Although he was a lumbering big size boy, but his demeanour was that of a gentle “Baby Huey”, very mild of character. 

He didn’t stay long at the Mount, maybe a couple of years at the most, I am thinking around 1967-68 maybe? 

After he left the Mount, I lost track of him. 

You seem to have heard more about him after the Mount. 

Regards,

Attila Gyuris

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On Sunday, January 31, 2021, 11:23 AM,

Andres LARSEN <larsen.andres@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello George,

In our time at the Mount up to 1969 there was another Old Boy who has been rarely mentioned in our Circulars.

He was an American who went by the name of Gabriel Baptiste, Jr. and he was allowed by Father Bernard and Father Cuthbert to start a "radio station" called Radio Mount, if I remember correctly.

He would play recordings over the loudspeaker by the shower stalls next to the basketball court below the refectory, library and movie theater in the afternoons with himself as the broadcaster / radio announcer commenting on these recordings and any other matters of interest to us Mount high schoolers. 

He was very tall, heavyset and had enormous shoes.

He also wore glasses all the time (probably shortsighted).

He had a boisterous laughter which would leave him out of breath.

He practised no sports and would walk around with a lumbering gait.

His father Gabriel Baptiste Sr. was the founder and president of CABEL (Industria Venezolana de Cables Eléctricos) in Valencia, Carabobo.

He died when struck by lightning on a golf course here.

I heard that Gabriel Jr. went to the US after graduating from Mount, studied broadcasting if I'm not mistaken and then worked at a radio station somewhere in Kansas (I don´t know if he eventually bought it). 

His fate is mystifying but if he does still exist and any of us were still to have any contact with him, well, he could be perhaps contacted to see if he has any interest in joining TEAM GEORGE.

Best regards,

Andrés Larsen 

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On Sun, Jan 31, 2021 at 11:07 AM

GEORGE MICKIEWICZ <amickiew@att.net> wrote:

Hola Andres,

It will continue as long as the current team members continue to contribute.  Unfortunately have been unable to add many new members to increase the membership and contributions. 

In the future, the contributions might be lower than the $650 depending on how much money has been contributed. 

I am preparing the January monthly financial report. 

Will share it with you and the others so you can get a feel of where things are.

Hoping that we can get more of our alumni to join….so far we have only 1 who contributes regularly.

I sent the $650 for February this morning.

Please be extra careful and stay healthy, safe and sound,

George

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From: Andres LARSEN

Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2021 8:05 AM

Hello TEAM GEORGE,

Just out of curiosity and as a follow-up on my part, has your TEAM GEORGE VENEZUELAN ALUMS ASSISTANCE program concluded now in January 2021 or is it still ongoing / working during this Year 2021? 

Best wishes for a fruitful first week in February.

Andrés Larsen

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Andres LARSEN <larsen.andres@gmail.com>

Jan 31 at 8:09 PM

Hi Attila,

Gabriel Baptiste Jr. certainly did have a strong twangy US Midwestern accent and a mild gentle character.

Easygoing good natured chap.

The seniors would pick on him in spite of his towering size and give him a hard time.

That is why he tended to stick around with those of us his age or younger than him.

He was good friends with a pair of Canadian brothers who were briefly at the Mount and one of whom, maybe the younger one, was able to jump up in the air and then amazingly in the middle of his jump touching the back of his head with the soles of both his feet.

He seemed to have no spinal cord and the elasticity of Nadia Comaneci. 

Gabriel Baptiste's mother killed herself in the bathtub at home after having been diagnosed with incurable liver cancer.

That hit his father really hard. 

I used to visit his parents' house here first in Los Campitos between Prados del Este and the road up to Cumbres de Curumo and later when they moved on the drive up to Lomas de San Román not far from where you lived in the Fontainebleau on the third floor next to the Ciempies overpass.

Best regards,

Andrés Larsen

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Andres Larsen <andres_larsen@yahoo.com>

Tuesday, January 29, 2008 11:12:05 AM

Alfredo,

De verdad sentimos tu ausencia el 22.11.2008 cuando tuvimos la cena anual de pizzas variadas en el Mamma Nostra de Altamira.

Esta vez, aparte de nuestro acostumbrado anfitrión Laszlo Kertesz, estuvimos presentes Father Rupert y Brother Felix, ambos sorpresivamente en persona, de Mount St Benedict, Myron, también llamado Ronnie, Lew y su señora (yo tenía 38 años que no había visto a Myron) y el suscrito.

La pasamos muy bien pero Laszlo nos debe las fotos que Brother Felix nos hizo, hasta la luz del día de hoy.

No pierdo la esperanza que Laszlo las llegue a publicar en una de sus Circulares futuras.

Luego hubo otra reunión ampliada el 29.11.2008 pero sin los dos benedictinos que ya habían regresado a Trinidad.

Vamos a ver si logramos ubicarte a Rausseo.

No me acuerdo de su nombre pero ya te lo vamos a averiguar.

Entiendo que Carlos Dvorak ahora trabaja de tesorero con Oscar Cantore en su contratista petrolera Aincosa en Anaco.

Carlos Dvorak paró lo que estaba haciendo con Mirko Internacional en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Maiquetia.

Cordial saludo

Andres Larsen

Alfredo,

We really felt your absence on 11.22.2008 when we had the annual dinner of varied pizzas at the Mamma Nostra in Altamira. This time, apart from our usual host Laszlo Kertesz, there were present Father Rupert and Brother Felix, both surprisingly in person, from Mount St Benedict, Myron, also called Ronnie, Lew and his wife (I was 38 years old who had not seen Myron) and the undersigned.  We had a great time but Laszlo owes us the photos that Brother Felix took of us, until today.  I do not lose hope that Laszlo will publish them in one of his future Circulars.

Then there was another extended meeting on 11/29/2008 but without the two Benedictines who had already returned to Trinidad.

Let's see if we can find you Rausseo. I don't remember his name but we'll find out for you. I understand that Carlos Dvorak now works as treasurer with Oscar Cantore at his oil contractor Aincosa in Anaco. Carlos Dvorak stopped what he was doing with Mirko Internacional at the Maiquetia International Airport.

(He is in Prague, EDITOR)

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EDITED by Ladislao Kertesz,  kertesz11@yahoo.com,  if you would like to subscribe for a whole year and be in the circular’s mailing list or if you would like to mention any old boy that you would like to include, write to me.

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Photos:

63TF0124SPORTS, photo by Terrence Ferreira

56UN0111SCOUTS,

21LK0020DMI, Daniel Michieli

58LK4150LKE, In the pool, Ladislao Kertesz EDITOR