In a message dated 5/1/01 7:49:23 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes: > Subj: Re: OBITUARY ANNOUNCEMENTS. > Date: 5/1/01 7:49:23 PM Eastern Daylight Time > From: [log in to unmask] (sulayman Nyang) > Sender: [log in to unmask] (The Gambia and related-issues > mailing list) > Reply-to: <A HREF="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]</A> (The Gambia and related-issues > mailing list) > To: [log in to unmask] > > > > > Dear Colleagues: > I am writing to announce the sudden > death of our good friend and brother Alhaji Bai Abi > Phall. He died suddenly on Monday at Laurel Hospital, > Montgomery County, Maryland. For those of you who do > not know much about this brother, let me give you a > brief account of his life and times: > > > OBITUARY > > Alhaji Bai abi Phall: A Gambian Who > Labored Hard for his Contemporaries > > > Alhaji Bai Abi Phall has returned to his > Creator. Like those before us he too has taken the > path which all of us will eventually take. During his > life he went through the stages of socialization most > young Gambians of the colonial era experienced. The > son of Pa Essa Faal, a private contractor whose > reputation among the colonial Gambians was far and > wide. His father earned the distinction of being the > Gambian contractor who built more wharves than any > other contractor. Throughout the Provinces the name > Essa Faal was known among many villagers and > townspeople. Young Bai Abi shared this commitment to > public service with his father. He joined the Boy > Scouts of the Gambia and excelled in many ways. Later > he became a member of the Zegoza, one of the earliest > Gambian youth groups projecting a modern outlook in > mode of dress and social activism. It was groups like > this that pioneered much of the changes that many > Gambian youths now take for granted. What later came > to be known in the provinces as Kompinos were in many > ways modelled after these urban-based youth groups. > Mr. Phall attended the Methodist Boys High > School in Banjul. After finishing his education he > joined that small but growing caravan of aspiring > Gambians who went to the United Kingdom for higher > education. He studied the medical and health sciences > and worked in England for many years as a physician's > assistant. He emigrated to the United States of > America in 1969 and worked at the Washington Hospital > Center in Washington, D.C. Bai abi Phall was one of > the first Gambians who emigrated to the United States. > After almost five years in the United States of > America he decided to answer the call of duty and > returned to the Gambia. He was one the first team of > teachers to open the Gambia School of Public Health in > Banjul. During his tenure at this institution he > gained fame and recognition among Gambians not only > for his dedicated services to the community but his > radio broadcasts on health and medical issues in the > country. > Alhaji Bai Abi Phall spent many years in the > Gambian Civil Service. During his years of service he > became known to almost all his contemporaries. He was > definitely a man who gave much of himself to others. > He gave medicine to the sick, school lunch money to > the youth and fish money to relatives,friends and > neighbors. In classical Wolof terminology he would > have been described as Samba yek nyep. This is to say, > he was someone who cares for most if not all who came > his way. > Alhaji Bai Abi Phall whose last name is > spelt differently from his cosuins(the Faals) in > Banjul and elsewhere in the Gambia, took this decision > to assert his independence and to capture phonetically > the sound of his name which many of his American and > British friends confuse with the English verb fall. He > is survived by his wife Hania and five daughters. May > his soul rest in peace. We express our condolences to > the family and to the in-laws, Habib Ghanim, Ghanim > Diab of Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, Kathleen and Fatwa, > Amira Diab Jagne and all others in Gambia, Lebanon, > United States of America and elsewhere. > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------