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Trinidad Guardian Reporting 1981 March 31
USED WITH PERMISSION
Death found him
at grindstone
By CLEVON RAPHAEL
wawwc AMer au aa..
a to fa i 8, 1981, dut a me& ecal
i'af ttfttanti1p .eqple'attrr na Movec
go.'Dr.
tat we asn a sa g asome
-gay. WA hi ale he said 'It
wet week, at yeare.r"
D.. Williams was idolised
during the 1PN s 2Sch
anniversary ao January 12,
2981 by the theasands who
4pad ed Convention Centre
at Chagiumarast fe ii the
- o occasion. PNr
memDberlT t was in the
audience an that. day, said
yesterday: .
Many of a were angry ,
irj uncharacteristic manner,
Lu4 retire.
iid' disturbed that he
S]W be1 abowered with so
mn6y bmquets. We felt
that this mbt sound
kmpe5tI -w- he was be-
"Some peope might say
that we are speaking now
becae is dead, bt how
did they ect us to coee
oat before,.
Another member, .who
said it was a well-kept
secret that the .Prime
Minister who was ailing, de-
viated from the usual prac-
tice of giving his chauffeur
his grocery, list on Friday
morning. -
e dad not pass on that
grocery list last Friday.
He was so weak, Dr.
Willams could not hold his
brief case while climbing
i .i 29, 1981, when he
the stairs to Whitehall. for
the weekly CabtSt meet.
ina that day.
And n that sine day, Dr.
Williams, who never
btrigwd the caaiufia.of
his sicbal ath held on
-s tm lap y wh de poin.
mit lva bted to w ay
tos, bbr I dO='t -thaiC theyl
wmSe mv e ca ld. i ee t
6"AU f that apart, Dr.
Whis rams was als, a vt
hborn Bterafy.
"When last did you hear
him on bold y? 'Ihie
aa ust ve to work, eve
tEou6gh so me failed'
to areala the restilts of
this hard wark...
Trinidad Guardian Reporting 1981 March 31
USED WITH PERMISSION
PHYSICAL FATIGUE
Deite.the very recent
te-ae signs of physical
fadu r. Williams tuck
.to hi guns, and bad several
engagments lined up for
this weekend..
These included the inau-
guradon of ISCOTi,partid-
pating in another IpiM
2%St ainiverary function in
San Fernando, on Saturday,
and a similar oame at
Barataria on Suay.
Maor a Port-of-
Councillor George Nee.hal,
who was so shocked at Dr.
Willams' passing, that he
had to be wrxed into,
expresin the 4w tamna
of the t Corporation
said he bad cancelled all
pbc engaagements until
An ironic aide to the Dr.
Williams Saga was given
when another person else
to him said:
'Dr. Wilfamsi told me,
two weeks ago, he was
planning to go on a long
rest, in preparation for the
forthcoming general eec-
tions.."
Trinidad Guardian Reporting 1981 March 31
USED WITH PERMISSION
Death found him at grindstone
By CLEVON RAPHAEL
PRIME MINISTER, Dr. Eric Williams, met the ultimate fate in a manner to which her grew
accustomed, (illegible) away at work on the nation's (illegible). But some persons who had the privilege
of being close to the internationally respected scholar/politician spoke about events which they claimed
were a premonition to Sunday, March 29, 1981, when he succumbed to a massive heart attack.
One of them referred to March 8, 1981, during a special general council meeting of the ruling
People's National Movement.
"Dr. Williams, in a rather uncharacteristic manner, referred to the calls that he should retire.
Although not (illegible) angry he said he wondered (illegible) those people wanted him to go. Dr.
Williams said he was not going anywhere until the people themselves moved him from office
constitutionally.
'The Prime Minister said that we all had to go some day. In his case he said it could be today,
tomorrow, ,next week, next year..."
Dr. Williams was idolised during the PNM's 25th anniversary on January 12, 1981, by the thousands
who packed Convention Centre at Chaguaramas for the occasion.
A religious PNM member, who was in the audience on that day said yesterday:
"Many of us were angry disturbed that he should be showered with so many bouquets. We felt that
this might sound superstitious he was being buried.
"Some people might say that we are speaking now because he is dead, but how did they expect us
to come out before....?"
Another member, who said it was a well-kept secret that the Prime Minister who was ailing,
deviated from the usual practice of giving his chauffeur his grocery list on a Friday morning.
He did not pass on that grocery list last Friday.
He was so weak, Dr. Williams could not hold his brief case while climbing the stairs to Whitehall, for
the weekly Cabinet meeting that day.
Trinidad Guardian Reporting 1981 March 31
USED WITH PERMISSION
And on that same day, Dr. Williams, who never betrayed the condition of his physical health, held on
to the stairway while going to Parliament.
"Now, you tell me if all those things were not in some way connected with his demise. Again,
people might be tempted to say that all of this is superstitious, but I don't think they were simple
coincidences.
"All of that apart, Dr. Williams was also a work horse, literally.
"When last did you hear him going on holidays? The man just lived to work, even though some
people failed to appreciate the results of this hard work..."
PHYSICAL FATIGUE
Despite the very recent tell-tale signs of physical fatigue, Dr. Williams stuck to his guns, and had
several engagements lined up for this weekend.
These included the inauguration of ISCOTT, participating in another PNM 25th anniversary function
in San Fernando, on Saturday, and a similar programme at Barataria on Sunday.
Mayor of Port-of-Spain, Councilor George Neehall; who was so shocked at Dr. Williams' passing, that
he had to be coaxed into, expressing the deep trauma of the City Corporation, said he had cancelled all
public engagements until Friday.
An ironic side to the Dr. Williams Saga was given when another person close to him said:
"Dr. Williams told me, two weeks ago, he was planning to go on a long rest, in preparation for the
forthcoming general elections."
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