Obituary - Philippe Gabriel and Jean Preira prominent member of DP.

OBITUARY

PHILIPPE OLIVE JOSEPH GABRIEL

28 NOVEMBER 1928-11 JANUARY 2007

Philippe Gabriel founding member of DP

Philippe was born of a family of three at Pointe Larue in 1928. His younger brother Herman died at a young age and his mother Rosina died when Philippe was only four years old. He and his brother Roger, who died in 1999, grew up with their father Marcel and their aunts at Pointe Larue and Pointe Aux Sels and relatives at Rochon. He went to school at Anse Aux Pins and St Paul in Victoria, eventually learning carpentry and becoming a good carpenter. He later joined the British Army and left Seychelles in 1946 for Egypt where he was part of the Seychellois military contingent protecting the Suez Canal. He traveled to Israel during that same period and was present when that country declared its independence in 1948. Back in Egypt, he was posted in Ismailia and Suez until he returned to Seychelles in 1953. It was only in June 2006 that he was recognized for his active role in the Suez conflict and was awarded the Suez medal for bravery by the British High Commissioner.

Philippe joined the Colonial Administration as a Labour and Welfare officer and in his spare time, engaged in the carpentry business. In 1957, he met and married the young Therese Michel, a school teacher from Baie Lazare and they settled in a house newly built by himself at Pointe Larue, along with sister-in-law Margaret. Their first child Gelase was born in 1958, followed by Nichol, Kenneth, Maryvonne, Anne and Sarah. Educating his children was a top priority for Philippe and both he and his wife worked tirelessly to that end, sending all six of them to either Seychelles College or Regina Mundi Convent from where they eventually entered University. Gelase later became the Principal Secretary for Social Affairs; Nichol became the Head of the Commonwealth Office at the United Nations; Kenneth became the Brew master of Seychelles Breweries; Maryvonne is the Personal Assistant of Bishop Denis Wiehe; Anne is a qualified medical doctor and Director of Non Communicable Disease; Sarah is the Project Coordinator of the National Women Council of Mauritius.

Philippe retired from Government service in 1969 to start his own transport business. By then, the family had moved from Pointe Larue to Anse Aux Pins to give way to the building of the International Airport. He owned two fishing boats, one of which was christened ‘Bella Del Mar’. He purchased his first lorry ‘Pense a Moi’ that same year to carry passengers from Anse Aux Pins to Victoria. A few years later, he bought his first Toyota Coaster, followed by a second one, ‘Ma Belle Amie’, a third one and a taxi. The family moved back to Pointe Larue in 1972. However, when the public transport operations were nationalized in 1977, Philippe moved into agriculture, successfully rearing chickens and growing vegetables. Together with his three sons, he purchased the ex-Chez Rif complex in 1989, renamed Mirabel, and moved into retail shopping, bar and night club. He had since been involved in that business until he was taken ill on that 11th December 2006.

Philippe loved traveling and in his lifetime, he made a first trip to Mauritius in 1988 followed by faraway places like New York, USA where he went inside the World Trade Center, the Niagara Falls in Canada, UK, France, Italy, Belgium, Bosnia, Croatia, Israel, Zimbabwe and also, Reunion and Dubai.

He was also politically active since the formation of the Democratic Party in 1964 with Mr. James Mancham, Mr. David Joubert, Mr. Chamery Chetty, Mr. Philip Mondon, Mr. Nicholson Stravens and Mr. Robert Frichot. He was an executive member of the Democratic Party until three years ago. He had an incredible passion for the Party and for campaigning (he preferred the term canvassing) and would put his lorry and buses at the disposal of the Party at every rally. After the return of multiparty politics, he became engaged once again. He was nominated on the Management Committee of the DP and was fully involved with the organization of rallies, conventions and annual parties. Notwithstanding his political affiliation, he maintained a close relationship with members of the governing Party, from the President, Ministers and MNAs. Every campaign team of every Party at Pointe Larue must make an obligatory stop at his shop. His generosity was legendary and he was always ready to give to the less fortunate members of the community. Despite his quick temper, he had an incredible sense of humour that endeared him to the people and the youths especially, earning him the affectionate pseudonym of Parrain or Ti Parrain. He kept an excellent memory of history, dates, birthdays and personalities. Friendship was important to him and over the last two years, he visited some old friends in every part of Mahe. As a counselor, he would fix broken relationships, bring enemies together, and get children to adopt good lifestyles.

Needless to emphasize, his death will leave a huge void in Seychellois society especially for people who have been acquainted to him. The impressive crowd that turned up for the funeral on Tuesday 16 January at St. John Bosco Church is testimony of the huge popularity of the person himself and the place he held in Seychellois society.

Jean Preira

08 March 1945 - 3 January 2007

Jean Preira driver of President James R. Mancham

My dear friend Jean, the road we have travelled together for many years have finally come to an end. For you, now comes the enjoyment of the bliss of heaven. For me, well - I am still in a world where to put it, mildly and diplomatically, materialism prevails and speaks for itself.

When I last saw you at the Rehabilitation Centre in North East Point and told you that I was on my way to Australia to spend Christmas and New Year with my family you gave me “a certain smile” as I bade you farewell. A certain smile which left unanswered the question of whether that parting was to be an “Au Revoir” or a final “Adieu.”

Well Jean, life in this world was not always kind to you, but whatever you did, you did it to the best of your ability and in a very noble way. After secondary schooling you joined the Seychelles Police Force before winning a position as a clerk in the Seychelles Postal Services. On the period before our independence you were recruited as a VIP Chauffer because of your charm, integrity and sense of commitment. This position brought you close to me as I graduated from the position of Chief Minister to that of Prime Minister AND FINALLY FROM Prime Minister to become the founding President of the Republic. It was an exciting time. A wealthy businessman impressed in the way things were getting along gifted to State House a Seychelles blue Rolls Royce and you were selected from a group of ten to go to London for an extensive course in training in Rolls Royce engineering and mechanism. Rolls Royce was impressed with your ability and performance and in no time it authorised the transfer of that unit car to Seychelles. Luckily, in those days, we had no forex problem to cope with in case spare parts were needed.

But you were to pay a high price for becoming not only the Chauffer, but also a trusted friend of the President of the Republic. In the aftermath of the Coup d’Etat in 1977 you were tempted with several offers with opposition money if you were to agree to appear on a radio programme to publicly denounce your deposed boss. But your conscience and integrity would not allow you to do so. As a result you soon found that your appointment as a civil servant abruptly terminated without payment of any meaningful severance compensation. It was at that time that I sent you a little money to buy a small fishing boat. And do you remember what you did? After buying that boat you had the courage and bravado to name it “JRM”- Well "JRM" was giving you just enough to support your family when government introduced a curfew which made it almost impossible for any fisherman to engage himself in night fishing. Consequently you had to look for alternative income to meet your domestic responsibilities. In fact you took employment with Richard Mancham & Company Limited then run by my two brothers Billy and Babi. During your service with RMC you not only witnessed the company being killed through the introduction of a vicious system of import licensing and a subsequent take over by government for next to nothing but also the demise of these two brothers at young age, through a sad lifestyle pressured on them by the circumstances of that time. After that you joined Mr David Collie in a Ship Chandlers partnership only to find yourself denied a license to carry on trading as a Ship Chandler a few years later.

Yes my dear Jean you were made to pay a high price for the privilege of your friendship with me but fortunately the point remained that the more you demonstrated your will and strength to stand on the side of what is right, the more you rose up in the estimation of fair minded citizens of our beloved native land.

Jean, my dear friend, the number of people who have crowded in this church today to pay their homage and respect is proof, if proof was ever needed, of the admiration for you and your courage and bravado to stand up for what you believed was right. Did you ever imagine how much you were loved and appreciated and how we are all going to sadly miss you and the virtues you represented? History, which has a long term perspective, will recognise you as a Seychellois whose head stood high above the crowd for courage and principles.

Farewell my friend, farewell dear Jean. We will make sure that your memory will never grow old.

Long live La Paloma Blanca

James R Mancham