Vincentians in New York on Saturday paid their last respects to popular community worker and economist Auton Everett “Frankie” George, who died on July 3. He was 78.
George, a founding and active member of Club St. Vincent, Inc., a cultural and educational organization in Brooklyn, succumbed to cancer, according to Raymond Kydd, who is married to one of George’s nieces.
“Frankie was diagnosed with cancer and survived for two years,” said Kydd, who conducted the 2 ½-hour-long memorial service and brought “Words of Faith/Encouragement” at Harmony Funeral Home on Clarendon Road in East Flatbush, Brooklyn.
Kydd, an elder at the Northboro Seventh Day Adventist Church in Massachusetts, did not disclose the type of cancer that afflicted George, a former master in economics, at the Advanced Level, at the St. Vincent Grammar School and retired assistant vice president in the Trust and Estates Department at Manufacturers Hanover Trust/Chemical Bank, now named Chase Bank, in New York.
Among those who paid tribute to George were Raymond England, his contemporary and friend at the St. Vincent Grammar School; Bernard Hewitt, George’s brother-in-law and former associate in the defunct Bridge Boys’ Club in Kingstown; Aisha Cato, daughter of the late Basil “Bung” Cato, also a former member of the Bridge Boys’ Club; and Kingsley Layne, erstwhile St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ambassador to the United Nations, United States and Organization of American States.
Tributes were also paid, among others, on violin by Kydd’s daughters, Aria and Leah; and on keyboard by pre-eminent Vincentian-born, Caribbean musical arranger Frankie McIntosh, George’s classmate at the St. Vincent Grammar School, who played Becket’s “St. Vincent, I Love You.”
A video presentation near service-end depicted George in his younger and older years with his wife of 53 years, Edna, and their only child, Zulema, who eulogized her dad.
Hewitt said he and George were acquaintances “at the outset”, but soon became friends and “buddies” when they, along with fellow residents of New Montrose, Kingstown, known as “Montrosians”, such as Raymond “Bruno” England and Cato, became members of the Bridge Boys fraternity, of which Hewitt was a foundation member.
“Frankie quickly became a valued member of the group with his intelligent and well-thought-out opinions and suggestions, his sense of humor,” Hewitt said. “And he was great at picong also.”
He said George played soccer for Eagles, owned by the Bridge Boys, and played mas in the carnival bands that the Bridge Boys produced.
“In short, we enjoyed our time as the Bridge Boys,” Hewitt said. “It was a fun and interesting time.”
Hewitt said George was also an avid reader of books and was a music aficionado.
In addition, he said George was “a fashion plate,” stating that George was “always well-turned-out with perfectly matched outfits, which I admired and was a little envious of [laughter].”
Hewitt said that the love and caring that he observed between George, his wife and Zulema were amazing.
“This was truly a family that loved and cared for each other,” he said.
England said George “was, is and will always be my forever friend,” disclosing that he and George knew each other for over 70 years and that they attended the same elementary and secondary schools – the Kingstown Methodist and the Boys Grammar School, respectively.
On graduation from the Boys Grammar School, George said they both returned to teach at their alma mater and that they joined “a fraternity of young men” known as the Bridge Boys.
England also said that George was an avid reader, who encouraged him to “devour” books by, among others, V.S. Naipaul, Orlando Patterson and James Baldwin.
He said, according to reports, that George did his “best work” while teaching at the Grammar School.
“He had a thorough knowledge of the subject matter, economics, and transmitted this knowledge with enthusiasm and clarity, as lucid as daylight,” England said. “He not only taught students the subject matter, but he inspired them to develop critical thinking skills and a perpetual sense of curiosity.
“His teaching and influence reach far beyond the confines of the classroom,” he added. “He taught them [students] the importance of discipline and perseverance. He encouraged them to view failure not as an end in itself but, instead, as a stepping-stone to success, if they learnt the lesson it taught.”
Cato said George was “always my God Father,” adding that he had “a cool and charming disposition,” and that George and her dad, who died 1 ½ years ago, “had a bond that was always love.”
Layne said George “paid a solid interest in the academic experience of his students.”
Sandra Millington, president of Club St. Vincent, told Caribbean Life that George was an active member of the group from its inception, in 1979, up to his death.
She said that when the then treasurer, Noel Sardine, left the organization, George was elected treasurer.
“The objectives of the organization are to develop education programs; to develop cultural programs; to encourage economic development; and to disseminate information to the community,” said Millington in her tribute. “These objectives suited Auston’s strong desire to educate, assist, and to serve his community. He was always willing to assist, and was very disciplined, courteous and dependable.”
She said that, on Father’ Day, 2013, Club St. Vincent honored George for his dedication to the group and the community at large.
Millington said George was always actively involved in the group’s programs, working for fundraising events, such as bus trips and boat rides; conducting seminars and workshops; and assisting with the group’s major exposition, “which gives artists and business people locally and from St. Vincent and the Grenadines the opportunity to market their products and to network with other vendors.”
“Auton’s dedication and commitment never waned from 1979 through his last days,” she added. “He was a joy to be around; his laugh was infectious. He will be sorely missed by all the members of the organization. May his family be comforted by the good memories, and may he rest in peace!”
According to the obituary, George was born on Nov. 25, 1944 in Kingstown.
After graduating from the Boys Grammar School, with a Grade 2 General Certificate of Education, Advanced Level, from Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, in 1966, George received a Commonwealth Scholarship to study economics at Memorial University in Newfoundland, Canada. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in that discipline four years later.
While studying in Canada, George and Edna McDonald, his longtime girlfriend re-united. Edna, at the time, was working at Toronto Western Hospital as a Registered Nurse.
The obituary says that, after George and Edna married, in 1970, George received a teaching fellowship at York University in Toronto, Canada to pursue a Master’s degree in economics.
On graduation, George and Edna returned to St. Vincent and the Grenadines “so that he could fulfill his obligation to the Vincentian Government, which had offered him the scholarship,” the obituary says.
After teaching Advanced Level Economics, for three years, to Form 6 students at his alma mater, George was seconded to the quasi-public Development Corporation (DEVCO), where he collaborated with Arnhim Eustace, former St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, and Halley “Bucky” Dougan.
In September 1973, Edna gave birth to Zulema, who became the couple’s “prized possession”, according to the obituary.
In pursuit of a better life for his family, George, two years later, arranged for his wife and young child to migrate to the United States, while he completed his obligations to the government. Once completed, the obituary says, George joined Edna and Zulema in Brooklyn.
In New York, George initially worked in retail offices in the Accounting Department and then moved on to financial institutions, the obituary says.
It says he found his home in banking and eventually worked his way up the ladder, becoming assistant vice president of the Trust and Estates Department at Manufacturers Hanover Trust/Chemical Bank/Chase Bank before retiring.
In retirement, the obituary says George was “a constant source of support to many,” providing information on taxes, finances, life decisions, “and even medical advice.”
Community service, love for Vincentian culture and support of the education for all children both in New York and in St. Vincent and St. Vincent and the Grenadines led George to become one of the founders of Club St. Vincent, Inc., one of the oldest and leading Vincentian cultural and educational organizations in the United States, the obituary says.
During his membership in Club St. Vincent, Inc., George held many, if not all, of the positions of the organization, the obituary says.
In her eulogy, Zulema told mourners that she was “so proud to stand before all of you this afternoon and speak of his [George] greatness.
“At some point or the other, many of you have witnessed the pride that dad felt when he introduced me, hung out with me or even talked about me,” she said. “It was obvious that he loved me, adored me, cared for me and wanted nothing but the best for me,
“We had a way that we communicated with each other,” Zulema added. “It was as if we were the only persons in the room. We were in sync always.
“I am the epitome of a daddy’s girl,” Zulema continued. “I loved to be around him; we had the same spirit and the same energy. He was my ace, my dance partner, my mentor, my late-night snack friend, my ‘commess’ [gossip] partner, my therapist, my teacher, my financial advisor. And back in the days, he was my train ‘buddy’. He was my everything.”
George, whose body was cremated, according to Zulema, is survived by his wife, Edna; Zulema (Ronney Phillips); siblings Glen Byam, St. Elmo Carlisle George, Eileen Daisley and Colin LaBorde; nieces and nephews; and a host of other family members and friends.
“Auton will be missed dearly,” the obituary says. “We will continue to honor his legacy by living our lives to the fullest.”
