It is with deep grief and sorrow I pen down these lines on the sad demise of my friend, mentor, guide and strong supporter of Goan movements in Kuwait, Mr. John Felix D’Sousa from Anjuna, Bardez, at his home place on 9thof this month. He was interred on the next day at Anjuna Cemetry in the presence of lot of his friends, relatives and well-wishers, some of them Kuwait returnees.
After completing his schooling at St. Joseph’s High School, Arpora – the first EnglIsh High School of Goa, with distinction in Latin, he took up the teaching job for a short stint and later on went to Kuwait with Portuguese Passport since Goa then was under the possession of Portugal, hence all Goans then were considered as Portuguese citizens.
After coming to Kuwait he took up a job at Albert Abela an international organization with its headquarter at Beirut, as an Accountant and rose to the position of Chief Accountant not only of Kuwait Center but also of the entire Middle East Areas. During his employment in Kuwait, he travelled almost all over the Middle East to oversee the company’s operations and received high marks on the job from his top management based in London.
While in Kuwait he helped many Goans to get jobs not only in his company but even outside. He was a very charitable man in which capacity he doled financial assistance to many of the needy without making a big propaganda of this good deed. ![]()
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Tel:7507394349.
John Felix D'Souza for our wedding in Kuwait in 1979.
He was very active in social and sporting activities in Kuwait. When he came to Kuwait in late fifties, he was involved in Cricket and when Goans under United Goans started competitive soccer tournament in Kuwait city in 1979 he not only backed this move but also actively took part by becoming an executive body member of Goan Overseas Association that fielded G.O.A. Maroons soccer team. In this capacity he helped some of the Maroons players in getting them employment and for some he even gave money from his own pocket.
He had very good command of written and spoken Konkani and English. He was a free lance journalist in Kuwait writing for the local newspapers as well as for Goan. In the beginning it was under his support and backing I started Konkani movement in Kuwait and he was my backbone for initiating Novem Goem movement under Novem Goem Pratishthan Kuwait Somiti that sent lakhs of Rupees to Goa for Novem Goem Daily. Later on he strongly supported me in forming Kuwait Konknni Kendr. He was one of the main persons in the beginning to promote Gulf Goans Hotels Co. and was its founding director in which capacity he worked very hard to help promote this company. About 25 years back he voluntarily retired from his lucrative job in Kuwait and came back to Goa for good. While in Goa he was offered a responsible position of Financial Director of GGHC which position he relinquished later on, on health ground.
As a human being, he was a man of superlative character, morally highly upright, socially very decent. A very good family man, a faithful husband to his faithful wife, a responsible father to his responsible 3 children and a dignified member of Kuwait Goan community. In Kuwait I had no other friend like him, he was very close to my heart in good time and also in bad time. In his death I lost a friend of whose type I will never get another because such persons come to this planet only once. May his soul rest in peace and may the Heavenly Father give courage to his wife and children to bear this colossal loss.
Tel:7507394349.