Tivim-born CAPTAIN JOHN ALEXANDER DE SOUZA, former principal of the prestigious De Souza School , Rourkela, Orissa, and a prominent citizen of that town passed away on December 16, 1999. Along with his wife Anne, he had founded the school in 1958, helping built the school campus in 1968. He was one of the founders of the Association of Orissa ICSE Schools and one of the pillars in the setting up of the Rourkela's Sacred Heart Cathedral. Having passed out from St Stanislaus School in Mumbai, Capt De Souza joined the Burma OrdinanceCorps as an army instructor. He rose up to be a British Commissioned Officer, who served in World War II. He leaves behind his wife Anne, son Alexander, daughter-in-law Annabelle and grand children Shilpa, Kavit, Neha and Disha. (Courtesy: Valentino Fernandes-GT)

A Goan Scholar Passes Away: KLAUS DE ALBUQUERQUE, was born in Uganda in 1946 of a Goan father and German mother. He schooled in Mombasa and left for higher studies in the US in 1964. He then switched to Sociology, taking the MS and then PhD at Virginia State University in 1976. He joined the College of Charlestone in South Carolina at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. He taught courses like Development of Social Thought, Race & Ethnic Relations, urban Sociology, and Population and Society. He had a special interest in tourism in the Caribbean and was deeply attached to the East AFrican region. Klaus' paternal grandfather, John Baptista, was business-minded. He came to Africa in the late 19th century and began trading in hides and skins in Kericho. Klaus' father, Alfonso, trained as a barrister, gave it up in favour of chicken farming in Mombasa. (Coutesy: Dr Eddie D'Sa, Goan Overseas Digest)

SAD DEMISE: Anand Rao, son of Smt Sushila and Capt Bantwal Arun Rao of 15, Defence Colony, Alto Porvorim, in Goa, passed away on January 1, 2000. Just about two months back, I had visited ever-smiling Anand, who was destined to his wheel chair as well as to death, due to a rare disease he was suffering from. But Anand was ever cheerful and knowledgeable. He loved the computer and communicated with his acquaintancies through the email. He operated the computer through a programme which recognised voice commands. He had to talk because his limbs were in no state to help in any way to use the keyboards or the mouse. When I had expressed surprise over his flawless Konkani language, Anand had told me that his parents are Konkani speaking Goans. They are probably the descendants of those who had escaped Goa probably due to conversion and settled in North Kanara.