Prominent Berbice attorney. Senior Counsel Marcel Crawford has passed away.
Crawford, the only senior counsel in Berbice passed away at the Anamayah Memorial Hospital yesterday afternoon at the age of 77. A relative told Stabroek News that he took in with a suspected heart complaint early yesterday morning at his Alness, Corentyne home and was taken to the institution around 5 am. She said Crawford showed no sign of being unwell the previous day and had actually spent some time with friends and was also distributing tokens. A very generous person, he was also very supportive of a children’s home in Berbice. He was also a popular horserace fan and was the owner of a few race horses.
He was the second of seven siblings born to Ryan Crawford, a Scotsman, and Sarah Millicent Harrington. His late wife, Lillian Sooklall-Crawford bore him two sons; Marcel Jr. who resides in the United States and Ryan, who is also a lawyer.
After graduating from the Corentyne High, he taught at the Kildonan Scots School and also became a national cycling champion. After his cycling career was short-lived, he travelled to England in August 1960 with the intention of pursuing medicine and enrolled at Westminster College in London. But in April 1961 he switched to law instead and was enrolled at the Lincoln Inn in London. In June 1964 he was admitted to the bar in England. He then practised in Trinidad before returning to Guyana.
