Kevin D'Souza
2021-09-25
Kevin added a lot of humour, much laughter and quite a few guffaws to our school life during the time he was in school at Abu. His penchant for giving nicknames to schoolmates and masters lives on as the nickname invariably comes up first when we think or refer to one of our contemporaries so anointed.
What is not probably known is that my mother convinced Kevin's mother to send him to Mt Abu.
At some time in the 1960s Kevin joined Air India (AI) as a flight purser/steward. In this role he made regular flights to London and would bring from and take parcels to my family in Bombay. Kevin was also posted to London for three month stints with AI where he worked the flights between London and New York. When he had time off in London he would phone me and I would pick him up and take him for a spin and pint. Kevin enjoyed this time as he got to ride around in my Spitfire often with the top down.
Kevin and his wife Terry made a fine couple. Kevin was very fortunate to have a loving wife in Terry who really helped nurture him along. They would visit my parents in Bombay from time to time to keep them updated on their progress.
I cannot recall when Kevin, Terry and family emigrated to Perth, WA where they spent the rest of their lives.
At some point in the 1980s my sister who lived in Ferndale, WA resumed our family friendship with Kevin, Terry and their family.
I recall talking with Kevin on the phone while he was in WA and I in Canada and was delighted to learn how he had changed since our school days and of his successes since he had left school.
He had at some point found religion and was a much better person and completely different to what we might have expected during our school years Yes, he still had the fun, the joy, the humour and remained an outstanding human being and a devoted family man.
We all lose in Kevin's passing — a light that brightened our days in Mt Abu has been extinguished.
I remember an incident in 56 or 57 when I had a dream that our class was travelling by bus and there was no driver and that Bogus as we called him carried the bus on his back.
When I told him about it the next morning he said no wonder that he was feeling tired and his back was aching and that he had a bad night's rest. Trust him to say that.