Goodbye, Angela
By Oluatoyin Alleyne
Stabroek News
April 28, 2007
She was sweet and sensitive; she was always bubbly with a ready smile; she was a born organizer; and she had a laugh you would never forget.
These were just some of the sentiments expressed by persons who Angela Osborne dealt with in her professional life. Many told of how they became friendly with Angela or Angie as she was fondly known, after meeting her in the line of her work. They will never forget her ready smile and her willingness to always go the extra mile to assist.
Last Saturday will be remembered as one of the saddest days in Stabroek News when the livewire of the Editorial Department died. For two years, Angela battled with chronic renal failure and no one knew the extent of the pain she experienced because she always had a smile on her face. That is how many of her friends remembered her. Many expressed shock at the extent of her illness as she always made it seem as if things were okay. In the end, she lost the battle, which she fought fiercely, and died last Saturday when her kidneys failed completely.
"Angela was a person who loved life. She enjoyed life," was how model Dacia Blackmoore remembered her.
Director of GEMS and tourism entrepreneur Gem Madhoo-Nascimento recalled how she could have called on Angela for anything and she was always willing to help.
Choreographer and member of the National Dance Company Vivienne Daniel recalled the same thing but her memory goes back a long way. She knew Angela as a child when she joined the dance school.
Well-known pageant co-ordinator Pamela Dillon said Angela was someone who could organise anything and was always committed to what she was doing.
Owner of Abhilasha's Fashions Pushpa Tiwari said she had "one too many" memories of Angela whom she met through the Sunday Stabroek Style Page. According to her, Angela was "very fashion conscious.
Fashion designer Olympia Small-Sonaram, who also knew Angela from her childhood days, remembers Angela's famous sentence, "Don't give me rudeness" which was uttered to anyone at anytime whenever she thought someone was not taking her seriously but it was always said in a jovial manner.
Dacia Blackmoore told The Scene that her memories of Angela were of a very outgoing person who was sincere and open. She recalled her creative side, which was evident at a Sonia Noel Fashion Show held last year that Angela helped to co-ordinate. She recalled that as the day of the show drew near, there was a lot that needed to be done and Angela was the one who remained calm and paid attention to the finer details ensuring that all went well. "We experienced last-minute glitches and she kept a strong head and got things done. People don't understand that the finer details are important and if you don't have someone like Angela on your team you would not get it," she said. Dacia who also attended Bishops' High School said Angela had always encouraged her to become a member of the old students association, as she was so very active in the association. "She had a very unique and outstanding sense of fashion. She was always trying to make a fashion statement with her little short self," Blackmoore said with a small laugh. She said she is more broken up over Angela's death because she had promised her to take her out and purchase something "nice for her birthday. Now I have to buy a wreath," she said.
Gem Madhoo-Nascimento said she knew of Angela's illness and she knew what she was going through as her mother died from the same complaint. She recalled that in 2005 she was in-transit in Trinidad when she saw Angela returning to Guyana. Angela told her what she had gone to that country for. "Right away I knew what she was going through as my mother was on dialysis for seven years and she finally died of kidney failure," Gem said. She recalled that she called on Angela on many occasions and she would always help her. She said Angela was always a very pleasant person who giggled a lot. "I am really saddened by her death, but she really lived everyday as if it were her last."
Vivienne Daniel remembered Angela as a child and how well she danced. She said it was she who encouraged Angela to allow her daughter, Aaliyah Callender, to join the dance school as she remembered how good a dancer the mother was. Vivienne is also a Bishops old student so she and Angela would meet at the old students' gatherings. But Angela also went out of her way to assist in giving the National School of Dance and the National Dance Company publicity. "She was so decent to us, I could give you that. I could call her at anytime and she was willing to help," she said. She said she was stunned on Saturday when she heard of her passing as although she knew she was unwell Angela always made it as if everything was alright. "It is hurtful to know that she was so sick and nobody really knew. But I guess we all wanted to believe that she was okay also." She recalled that it was Angela who initiated the Games Day, where old and present students of Bishops would face off in various sports. Vivienne said she was very concerned about Angela's two children, Jamal and Aaliyah and said she would assist in anyway she can because their mother was such a lovely person.
Pamela Dillon said she became close to Angela in 2002, when Angela joined the Miss Guyana Talented Teen Pageant Committee as she was so interested in the pageant. Pamela said each committee member was assigned four delegates to mentor and assist in their training. One of Angela's delegates was Zena Edwards who had come from a community high school and while some committee members wanted to give up on her Angela believed in her and gave her a chance because of her personality. Zena went on to be named first runner-up in the pageant and she could have won, Pamela said. "That was the kind of person Angela was, she always went the extra mile," Pamela said. She said even though they drifted apart they still kept in touch, as Angela would place her girls on the Sunday 'Style Page'. "We did not always see eye to eye but she was never disrespectful to me. That is how I remember her. She was always easy going and nice, it is a real loss to everyone."
Pushpa Tiwari said Angela was very fashion conscious and she loved Indian clothes and the many colours. They also met through the Style Page as clothes from Pushpa's boutique would appear on the page. She said Angela would express the wish from time to time to model some of the pieces. "I was drastically surprised when I saw the weight she had lost and I asked her if she was alright and she told me she was not well and she had mentioned she was going to Trinidad. I had even told her that if she needed money [she should] write a letter as I am involved in a number of charity organizations. But the letter never came," she said sadly. She said she was shocked when she heard of Angela's passing as she remembers vividly how hard she worked to help make Sonia Noel's fashion show a success. "She worked hard and would have wanted to give her children the best. And if there is any fund-raising or anything for her children please let me know," Pushpa said. Angela, she said, never made you feel uncomfortable as she always made small talk and laughed a lot.
Olympia Small-Sonaram remembers how Angela would speak very quietly on the telephone and when she was told to speak up she would then bring in her, "Don't give me rudeness" line. She also recalled Angela helping to co-ordinate a fashion show, which was held at the Lion's Club and how she went out of her way to get things done. "I knew her since she went to school because I knew Randolph [Angela's former reputed husband] and we would all be together so it is really sad for me," she said. "I will always remember this sweet jovial person. I never saw any bad side of Angela she was all smiles and laughter." She recalled that whenever she called her they would "start talking from one thing to the next and Angela would suddenly say, 'Girl leh me go and do the people work' before hanging up."
May peace be with her soul.