–funeral set for Monday
Dr Charles Validen, who was found dead at his home in August, will finally be laid to rest after family members recently travelled to Guyana to claim his remains.
According to his son Jonathan Validen, who is his only surviving child and closest relative, the late doctor will be laid to rest on Monday.
Several weeks ago, Stabroek News reported that the body of Dr Validen, a 76-year-old obstetrician and gynaecologist, who had dedicated years of service to patients, remained in storage at the Lyken’s Funeral Home, unclaimed. The decomposing remains of the Guyana -born doctor were found in his Triumph, East Coast Demerara home on August 31.
On Thursday, this newspaper met the younger Validen and his uncle (his mother’s brother) John Anderson, who hails from Scotland, at the funeral home, where they were in discussions with an attorney about Dr Validen’s assets and were finalising the funeral arrangements.
Jonathan said that his father had no relatives here. He explained that his parents were divorced and that his mother had subsequently died along with his sister.
He said that they never kept in touch because his father did not want to do so. He stressed, nevertheless, that he is still happy that he will be able to take him to his final resting place.
According to Jonathan, he learnt of the death via email. He noted that his father underwent heart bypass surgery just before he re-migrated here from Canada in 1991 and this more than likely contributed to his death.
Jonathan said he was delayed from travelling to Guyana because he didn’t have a passport.
Anderson said that he too had not heard from Validen over the years but from time to time he would get information that he was still alive and living here. He said he later learnt that he had died.
Asked why Dr Validen would have wanted to move back to a country where he had no relatives, he opined that he wanted to give back something to Guyana.
He had operated his office at Charlotte Street. One woman, who was familiar with the doctor, had said it was a shame that he might never get a decent funeral because no relative has come forward. If the situation had remained the same, the state would have been forced to eventually give him a “poor burial.”
The doctor’s maid went to the house on August 31 and after knocking on his locked bedroom door and getting no response, made a report to the police who later found his decomposing body.
