Dear Editor,
The Department of Language and Cultural Studies, School of Education and Humanities, University of Guyana, is deeply saddened by the passing of Dr Desrey Fox. Many of us have known Dr Fox since the time that she worked as a Research Assistant in the Amerindian Languages Project (which later became the Amerindian Research Unit (ARU)) in the then Faculty of Arts. We also knew her as a fellow lecturer and latterly, as Minister within the Ministry of Education.
Dr Fox carried a passion for the things that she did. She was very concerned about the preservation of Amerindian culture, but she was also engaged in many other cultural and academic pursuits that made her a widely-know person. Although she climbed the ladder of academic success, gaining undergraduate and post-graduate degrees, she never lost contact with her people and with others who shared her passion. She was quite willing to take off her shoes, don traditional dress and perform an Amerindian dance, or sing a song. She had a wealth of Amerindian stories to tell, and misconceptions to correct.
While at the University of Guyana, Dr Fox worked as a Researcher, Lecturer in Linguistics, and Coordinator of the Amerindian Research Unit. But even after she left the university, she maintained contact with the school and department and only recently convened a meeting on campus to discuss the development of the ARU. She was major contributor to cultural life on campus while she was here. Not only was she was a leading member of the university choir, but she was always one of the main participants in many other cultural activities on campus. Academically, her expertise in the linguistics of Amerindian languages, combined with her insights as a native speaker, made her an invaluable resource to the university and the nation.
We share the grief felt by Dr Fox’s family, friends and other colleagues, and extend our condolences to them.
Yours faithfully,
Alim Hosein
Head of Department
