Former Chairman of Region Three and contractor Fazeel Rayman, 84, who survived a fire that destroyed his house and several businesses at Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara, three months ago, passed away on Monday.
After the fire, Rayman was taken to the Demerara Paradise Inc., a retirement home at Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara, where he died.
His eldest son, Abdool Safdar Rayman, told Stabroek News that at time, his father was diabetic and was also suffering from dementia. In the prime of his life, he was the “first regional chairman when the region system was formed.”
Safdar also recalled that the elder Rayman was a pioneer in the construction industry, pointing out that three of his “major landmarks are still standing.”
Two of the projects, the sea wall at Uitvlugt, built in 1971-72 and a 10-door sluice in Essequibo, were done under the company, Torrington and Rayman.
Safdar said that his father subsequently formed the Rayman Brothers Inc., and undertook the other major project; the Den Amstel Water treatment plant. Safdar and his brothers, Mirza and the late Feisal were part of that company.
Rayman was also an active rice and cane farmer and had formed the National Cane Farming Committee.
Through the committee, he represented the cane farmers and was instrumental in getting good prices for cane as well as proper irrigation.
Under the late former president, Desmond Hoyte’s administration, he served as the chief executive officer of the Construction Management Combine Ltd. (CMCL) that involved three companies including GuyBridge.
The CMCL, he recalled, had bid successfully for a Caribbean contract that saw the construction of the airport in St. Kitts and Nevis, now called the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport.
Safdar said proudly that his father “made a significant contribution to Guyana.”
He noted that his father could not have done it without his mother, the late Philomena, a parliamentarian.
According to him, “She was with him toe to toe and his success hinged very strongly on her perseverance.”
He said his father did a lot more but he was happy to highlight the “snippets of his life.”
