Denis Williams laid to rest at simple ceremony Stabroek News July 8, 1998 Denis Williams laid to rest at simple ceremony Last Saturday, on a fine afternoon for a funeral, artist, archaeologist, historian, anthropologist, novelist Dr Denis Williams was buried in the churchyard of the St Sidwell's Church, Hadfield Street. Present were his family, relatives and close friends, politicians (Culture Minister Gail Teixeira, PNC leader Desmond Hoyte, AFG MP Dr Rupert Roopnaraine and AGGG leader Hamilton Green), artists and persons otherwise associated with culture in Guyana. Lawrence Byass, who read the eulogy said the late Denis `Sonny' Williams as he was more known would not have wanted fanfare at his death. The service was simple. Writer/poet Ian McDonald in his tribute said: "There is an African saying that when an old man full of wisdom dies a whole library is burned down. When Denis died not only a library burned but whole galleries of art and the imagination went up in flames." He also lamented the fact that Dr William's death and poet Martin Carter's some months ago were of great losses to Guyana. "It is true to say that nobody except Martin Carter equalled his presence as a great creative soul in the nation. That we have lost two such men in the space of hardly half a year is tragic for Guyana. In their absence we can almost feel the world of art and sensibility in Guyana grow narrower in imagination, meaner in spirit, shallower in intellect, smaller in stature, weaker in all that inspires humanity to do its best", he said.