A Tribute to Roy Gobin
Roy Gobin (better known as Terry Gobin) grew up in the village of Vreed-en-Hoop which is located across the Demerara river. I also lived for some years in Vreed-en-Hoop and Terry and I became close friends around 1958 when we would take the steamer, the Queriman, every morning and afternoon to get to and from our school, Queens College, which was in Georgetown, the capital. The Gobins’ house was on the public road in Vreed-en-Hoop and was a
meeting point for many of us who lived a bit further along the road. We were sometimes joined by another Queens College student, Walter Gunraj, who lived nearby and who commuted to Georgetown on a daily basis.
Like all other Guyanese parents, Terry’s parents who were involved in all aspects of his life. I remember him telling us that, despite his protests, at an early age he had to perform the duties choir boy at St. Swithin’s Anglican church at the insistence of his mother, Mrs. Doreen Gobin, who was a devout Christian, in addition to being a great cook.
Starting out as students and later as professional colleagues, our lives paralleled each other for many years. We left Queens College in 1966, having done well at the GCE exams that were set and graded in England. We both started working at the same time as statistical clerks in the Research Department of the Bank of Guyana, the central bank. On the advice of our mentor, Clarence Ellis, we both applied to study economics at various universities in England. Terry left for Manchester University in 1967 and I followed in 1968. He returned to the Bank of Guyana in1970 as an Economist and I followed in 1971. During subsequent years we collaborated on a
number of research projects, many of them having to do with policies that were designed to shore up the value of the Guyana dollar which was rapidly depreciating at the time. With our newly found financial freedom, we had a good life and did the things that most young people did. But we were most interested in establishing stability in our lives and this led to Wilma and getting married on September 1, 1973 and Terry and Shaira’s wedding followed a
week later on September 8, 1973.
The next momentous change in our lives came in 1974 and 1975, when Terry and I, respectively, came to the University of Illinois to continue our studies as post-graduate students in economics. After graduating with a Ph.D, Terry was employed as an Economics professor at Loyala University in 1974 where he continued to teach until his retirement in 2020.
So much for the history. What was Terry really like as a person?
1. I would say that Terry had an abiding interest in following and understanding developments in his field of study--economics. We sometimes exchanged notes and spoke on the phone about articles that he had read in various economic journals. His approach to economics was not only theoretical, he was interested in the practical application of the analytical concepts which could be used as tools for assessing economic performance at the country level, particularly in the area of Public Finance. This interest led to numerous discussions of the economic situation in Guyana.
2. More importantly, Terry was a family man who was always there for his kids; picking them up from school, attending all their activities, and even coaching their basketball and soccer games. He was equqlly helpful to their friends who were always asking for his curry chicken. This dedication to family continued throughout his life and was evident in the guidance and support in the educational field that he provided to his children, Melissa, Allister, and Sabrina, whose considerable professional achievements can be
traced to Terry’s commitment to the importance of acquiring a sound education. Terry was also concerned about the well-being of other family members and he did not hesitate to provide a home for his mother in her final days. He always acknowledged that he was part of a larger group for which he felt some responsibility. In this context, he encouraged his siblings to build new lives for themselves in the Chicago area where he felt he could
provide assistance, if needed. He was definitely happiest at home in familiar surroundings and demonstrated little interest in activities such as travel, unless of course Shaira took the initiative and made the necessary arrangements. The strength of Terry’s character was clearly demonstrated when he learned that he was diagnosed with a fatal illness. He accepted the medical diagnosis and prognosis of his condition calmly and made the decision to make the best of the time that remained to him. All that he
asked was to be kept at home where he would be in familiar surroundings and would be able to interact with other family members. Speaking to him on the phone became increasingly difficult as his physical and mental conditions deteriorated but Terry never complained. Instead, he would ask questions about activities others were involved in. I think that his continued interest in these mundane things brought some normalcy to his life and helped him in a way to deal with the challenges that he was facing.
During his protracted illness, Shaira, was Terry’s main support not only as the primary care-giver but also in helping Terry to accept the inevitable. Although it was difficult to tell how Terry was feeling at any point in time, it was from talking to Shaira that we were kept informed of the progression of his illness. She did what she could to provide emotional support and we are
grateful to her for arranging the gathering of family and friends for Terry’s 75 th birthday in May. While nothing was said, we all realized that this was a celebration of Terry’s life.
Terry is at peace now. While we will miss him, we have the consolation of knowing that Terry had a productive life, contributing in so many ways to the lives of those that he touched. Although he is now with God, he will continue to influence the lives of those who were close tohim.
Keith Dublin
Colleague and Friend