Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School Mt. St. Benedict , Trinidad and Tobago
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Dear Friends,
Neil Charles has been with us for a short while but has sent us valuable information in that time which I am including in this Circular.
From: nchacha57@aol.com
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2006 17:38:10 EDT
Subject: Peter Laughlin
Ladislao,
Do you have any info on Peter Laughlin?
He was my swim coach, I read that he lives in Sarasota
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From: nchacha57@aol.com
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2006 17:27:53 EDT
Subject: Re: Yunus Ali
His Phone# at home 1-868-638-9769....
He lives four houses away from my mom, did you know him?
His older brother Israfael also went to Mount, they are both engineers.
Yunus works for Ministry of Health and his brother is retired from T&TEC, and works for a private company.
I don’t think he has a computer at home.
Yunus was a day student and we grew up in the same neighbourhood.
He is a funny guy.
Thanks a lot for Peter's email, I just spoke to him after 33 years.
(Engineers should have email. Ed.)
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From: nchacha57@aol.
Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2006 23:11:39 EST
Subject: Neil Charles (Abbey Boarder 1970-1974)
Please put me on your list for you future newsletters.
Thanks
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From: nchacha57@aol.com
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2006 14:52:36 EDT
Subject: Neil Charles (Abbey Boarder 1970-1974)
Ladislao,
I don’t have any pics of me on the Mount.
Father Benedict took a few of me at the swimming meets and athletics.
I was on the swimming and athletics team, along with Johnny Garcia, Jimmy Samaroo, Joseph Maryuen, Roger Juman, Colm Imbert.
I am leaving for Trinidad on April 12-27 and will be in contact with Joseph Berment, Winston Ramsahai, Renny Villafana, Keith Allen(poggy) Yunus Ali.
I also visit the mount and look for those that are still alive and also visit the cemetery. Staying at the Mount was the best 4 years of my life, we are very fortunate to go to the best boarding school in the Caribbean .
I did send for all the pics that is on the website and taking them down with me to show the guys.
Where do you live now?
I am in Orlando , Florida
Thanks for the reply and hope to hear from you soon.
Neil
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From: nchacha57@aol.com
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2006 15:43:44 EDT
Ladislao, I can't remember The Fergusons,
What year were they at the mount?
I was a boarder not a dayboy.
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From: nchacha57@aol.com
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2006 23:19:57 EDT
Ladislao,
I am leaving for Trinidad on 4/12-28.
Do you have Salvador Coscarat email address in Texas
We were at the Mount the same time.
I have to give The Fergusons a call this weekend.
Best Wishes.
Neil
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Attila GYURIS wrote:
Reply to Neil Charles Sunday Apr 09, 2006.
Hi Neil:
Good for you to be able to stay at home!.
And thanks for the pictures and the update.
Now I only need to see how you looked at the Mount back then!
I hope you get them from Fr. Vush.
You're so right about postponing-the-travels-'till-it's-too-late part.
I am the sole provider and my wife is a stay-at-home mother (with Alex, our 5-year old), so she is doing most of the kid chores, but I do my share, believe me.
The truth is, I have so much fun and travel at work that I would do it for free!
I am now nearing a retirement option (after 20 years of federal L.E.O. service,) so I could retire at 50 in May with full benefits if I wanted to, but knowing myself I would just find something else to do anyway, so I might as well stay...at least until three bad days in a row.
I wholeheartedly agree with you about educating our children so they can earn their own money.
It is far better lo leave our kids with a great education than a great inheritance.
They can squander away the latter but nobody can take away the former.
Too bad you lost your MSB scrap book.
I guess that happens after so many years.
Ijust found a box in the attic with many old yellowing MSB stuff, which I will be scanning and sending out for the Circulars and the weblog.
I hope it brings some good memories to all.
Sure, I recognize the names of the actors Ben Gazzara, Paul Sorrvino, Diane Venora and her former husband director Andrzej Bartkowiak.
I haven't met them personally, but they are part of the Hollywood scene here.
When you go to T&T in April, will you be visiting the Old Abbey School
If so, please take some recent good photos from several vantage points and angles of the main school building, the small boys dormitory building, the refectory, the sports field and anything else you feel relevant.
I am sure many of us old boys would want to see those.
Attila
PS: Attached is a recent picture of me on the job.
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Reply from Attila Gyuris Sat Apr 08, 2006
Hi Neil:
Thank you for writing.
Regarding my career, yes, I always knew I wouldn't be sitting behind a desk for work.
I needed to do something different to fit my type "T" personality.
Congratulations for such an accomplished family you have!
What do you do in Orlando
I work with the Navy a lot, especially at the Naval Air Station in North Island (San Diego ), but sometimes at the Naval Air Station EL Centro, and NAS China Lake
I sure do remember the names you mention, but unfortunately, without any pictures from those days, I cannot put the faces to them.
If I remember correctly you guys were all "small boys" and I was just about to leave from Form V in 1969.
You were contemporaries of Salvador Coscarat, weren't you?
My best regards, and send some pictures if you can (both from MSB and current).
Attila Gyuris
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Initial 2 emails From: Neil Charles Sat 08 Apr 2006
Gyuris,
That’s one hell of a career you had after leaving MSB.
I am leaving for Trinidad on 4/12-28,
I just called Salvador Coscarat and his wife said he is away for a month working off the Gulf Of Mexico .
Do you remember guys like Neville Tenia, Michael Chow, Johnny Garcia, Roger Farah?
There are so many more to mention.
I live in Orlando
My son is a Navy Lieutenant and also an Aeronautical Engineer, my daughter is just the opposite, never liked school, but now works for Carmax.
My phone # is 407-384-9112, cell# 407-923-3694.
I will send you another email when I return.
All the best to you and your family.
Neil Charles
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Attila,
Do you remember Gary and Allan Romeo?
They are my neighbours back in Trinidad and we all grew up together, Allan lives in Miami, but sadly to say Gary died of a heart attack over 2 years ago at the age of 50 in Trinidad, he is survived by his wife (we all lived close by)and 2 sons, his mom is still alive.
When I was there last year I also heard a close friend of mine at the mount (Joseph Maryuen) also died at the age of 47.
This is one of the reasons I am going to Trinidad by myself, I hope to see as much friends as I can before it's too late.
You know how it is when the wife is with you, they want you to do whatever they decide.
I have not seen most of them in 32 years.
Neil
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nchacha57@aol.com wrote:
Attila,
I managed a small boutique wine store in Manhattan Madison Ave
I tend to take it easy and stay home and do most of the chores, I believe that parents are supposed to educate their kids and let them make their own money, and we should enjoy the fruits of our labour.
I have seen too many older friends of mine putting off that cruise they always wanted and die waiting.
Why wait till you are old and feeble then you can’t enjoy anything?
Health is wealth.
I will try and get some pictures from Vosh (father Benedict), I lost my scrap book with all my pictures and clippings,
I also swam for Aqua lads and represented T&T for a couple years, we went to Valencia,Venezuela in 1972 and swam against the Vulcan brothers Raoul and Raul), they were the youngest twins to swim in the Olympics back then.
This is really a small world....4 years ago I went to Bonaire to do some diving and was staying at The Black Dudgeon and met a doctor from Valencia and we started chatting, well I told him my story and a big smile appeared on his face....Raul Vulcan is his neighbour ! and told me he fractured his arm and operated on it a couple weeks ago, you think the story is over?
I decided to go back to Bonaire a year later and stayed at the same place, I checked in to my room, changed, and as I was walking down to the beach, the same doctor was exiting the water after a beach dive, you talk about a coincidence?
I am enclosing a couple pics, I have always wanted to visit California
Ben Gazzara, Andre Bartkowiak, Paul Sorvino, Diane Venora, yes, they were all my customers in Manhattan
Well I will end now and hit me back soon.
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Subject: Neil Charles,Abbey 1970-74
Hello Anthony,
I got your email from Glen Mc Koy.
I don't know if you can remember me, Jimmy Samaroo, Roger Juman, Edmond Sanoir, Joseph Maryuen (he died last year) and myself were always together..
I was in Trinidad last month and got together with Joseph Berment, Yunus Ali, Winston Ramsahai, Joseph Habib and took Miss Marcus for tea at the guest house.
I heard that Kamal Khan is a Doctor in Toronto
We are planning a reunion sometime next year and would like to hear from all the guys that are living abroad.
I heard that Alfredo Seafort died a long time ago in Venezuela
Hope all is well, say hello to Assam
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Neil Charles
"nchacha57@aol.com"
Ladislao,
I am sorry for not keeping up with you, but I have been a bit busy (not a good excuse),
How are you and the family?
I am planning another trip to T&T and looking for some land in Tobago ,
I just read about Jean De Meillac and his real estate business, do you have his e-mail?
I will be going to Europe on September 4th and heard that land price is suppose to go up soon.
If this is the case I might have to make that trip to T&T before I go to Europe .
I am enclosing another pic with the names.
Take care and talk to you soon.
Neil
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Ladislao,
Thanks for the email address, what other pics did I send you without names?
All mount boys are welcome to stay at my home in Tobago if plans work out, right now I am just buying the land.
I am thinking of another project in Clewiston, Florida, kinda confused now with the real estate business, waiting to see what will happen, it's not as bad here as in California.
Check out Tim Healy website....timhealy.net it's very interesting, we were class mates and I spoke to him last week for the first time in 32 years.
Hope all is well with you and the family, talk to you soon.
Neil
Ladislao,
Venezuelians are fleeing like crazy and buying houses here in Florida , I met a lot of them when Salvador
I am sure Chavez is aware of this.
I think he will also take over Cuba
Neil
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That was a long one!!!
God Bless
Ladislao
Photo in this issue:
06NC0002NCHGRP, Neil Charles and the group (names added)
06NC0004NCHMSB, Neil Charles at the MSB trail
06NC0005WRAFAU, Winston Ramsahai, Fr. Augustine
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