EULOGY --- P A TAYLOR

Peter Alfred Taylor was born in the English county of Somerset U.K. on the 31^st October 1925. He was therefore four score and two last October. There were three other siblings – a brother John now deceased and sisters Kathleen and Joan who survive him.

He came to this country during World War 2 on a merchant marine vessel where he served as Radio Operator. He subsequently married the former Phyllis Elsie Julia Roberts at a ceremony in this church in July 1947. Elsie Taylor pre-deceased him some two years ago. Unfortunately their adopted son Nicholas who now lives in Canada was unable to travel to Guyana at this time, but expects to be here in another couple weeks. He has however forwarded by email a few reminiscences of his father and some little known bits of family information, one of which explained to me how the youthful Peter Taylor happened to be with the Merchant Marine during the 2^nd World War at such a tender age. Nicholas relates that such was his father’s desire for adventure and his precocity that he joined the Merchant Marine in 1939 by not giving his correct age. His ship was torpedoed in the North Atlantic when his convoy was attacked by U-Boats. It was his subsequent trips to British Guiana to load bauxite that introduced him to the laid-back ways of the then colony, and his future wife and her large family. Nicholas mentioned growing up here in Austin Cottage, a building adjoining Austin House, the home of the Archbishop of the West Indies. They then moved to the Christ Church Vicarage and then to 118, Peter Rose Street, in 1966. He said his Dad was proud of the fact that the purchase of the Queenstown property was the last colonial land transfer. He recounted that when his father escorted him to the University of Guelph in 1977, he took him to one of the finest restaurants there – Winston’s. He said they never forgot the splendour of the place. Those were his son’s Nicholas reminiscences.

Of his three other children, Simeon a son and Adriana a daughter are here with us this afternoon, having traveled in from the U.S., but the eldest Timothy could not be here for the funeral. On behalf of myself, colleagues and staff from the Georgetown Club and the fraternity I do extend sincere condolences to you his children, other family members and care-givers who attended to him during his indisposition and confinement.

Peter Taylor was well known as a ham radio operator in Guyana and in the Caribbean, with a unique call sign, having never given up his original vocation, remaining active on an amateur basis, until a few weeks ago. His Queenstown residence could be easily distinguished by the imposing short wave communication aerials, long before the advent of television in Guyana made this a common feature in one form or another on roof tops throughout the city and the rest of the country.

After settling in the then B.G. he served during the 60’s and 70’s for a number of years in the newsprint media as editor and publisher of the Evening Post and the Argosy newspapers. His son Nicholas recalls that in the 70’s he was encouraged to sell the newspaper following his years of questioning government actions. He was for a number of years a commission agent and local representative for high quality printing paper and stationery. He was indeed highly knowledgeable in the local printing and publishing industry.

He became a member of the Georgetown Club in 1958, was elected a Director and served with distinction as its Hon. Secretary until his retirement in 2000. The club membership and facilities were enhanced during his tenure and maintained its stature as an elite membership club, and much sought after venue for exclusive functions. The name Peter Taylor was widely held to be synonymous with the Georgetown Club, so considerable was his impact on the image and operation of the Club. My appreciation of his unobtrusive interest in, and contribution to the success of the Club was clearly enlightened after I joined the Board in 1997, was witness to his work from the inside and saw the high regard in which he was held by the staff and members alike.

However, it was through freemasonry that I first met Peter Taylor in 1974 and since that time came to know him to the extent that I will now dilate.

He was initiated in Concord Lodge on 9^th July 1952, and first served as its Master in 1957, and subsequently in 1968/69 and again in 1969/70. He was appointed DGM in 1980 and served until his retirement in February 2001. He also served as Grand Superintendent of District Grand Chapter of Guyana from April 1981 until 2001. He was the consummate freemason , not only from his knowledge of the history, ritual and ceremonial of the many orders in masonry, but by virtue of his abiding interest in extending the establishment of the various Masonic orders and lodges within orders, for which his organizing capacity was exemplary. From his dedication to masonry a number of new orders and lodges have been established and consecrated in Guyana in the last 30 years, well before similar developments in the rest of the Caribbean. Indeed in recent times masonry in Guyana has been sponsoring and assisting such developments in the Caribbean islands.

In his Masonic pursuits Bro. Taylor had a passion for ritual in every sense of the word, and a keen sense of history in establishing and preserving certain landmarks and connections that could stand the test of time. The late Past DGM had a compelling influence in the choice of names given to a number of lodges in the different orders established during his tenure. Such names as Stabroek and St George-in-Guyana certainly fitted into the landscape and ensured a relevant association with patent landmarks. His acknowledgement of certain other connections and shared interests among masons was evident when he encouraged masons who were Rotarians as one instance, Georgetown Club members as another, and members with UG connections as a further case, to establish lodges based essentially (but not exclusively) on membership of these institutions, and identified as such. Thus we have Guyana Wheel of Service Lodge, Klubba Lodge, and University Lodge, among others. All these lodges were consecrated during his years as DGM. His sense of history and acknowledgement of association was manifested, for example, when in 1998 being aware that I was at the time serving as President of the Rotary Club of Georgetown and that I was also President of the District Committee of General Purposes in District Grand Chapter, he requested that I undertake the Consecration of the new Guyana Wheel of Service Chapter as Principal Consecrating Officer. It was an honour I long remember.

He had a firm position on his personal non-participation in any extra-curricular Masonic activity on Sundays, which was the neutral day available for Family Day and Fund Raising events in which I was involved as Charity Steward for Concord Lodge, and in which I had little choice as the most convenient day acceptable to most. He would however always support the event by paying his subscription and sending his assigned contribution which invariably was a large cake for all to savour. Out of his regard of the importance of fund raising and giving for the cause of charity to which he espoused, he could not over-emphasize these efforts as a necessary element of a freemason’s life – garnering funds to provide benevolence to fellow masons and others in need.

As DGM he will perhaps best be remembered by brethren during the 80’s and early 90’s for his famous Edict on lodge after-proceedings, which as President of the Board of General Purposes I was mandated to promulgate and with which I had no difficulty for that was the practice in my own lodge. Although there were some objections at the time by many of the older brethren to this mandatory requirement, it was to prove in time a practical and salutary adoption, a view now shared by most.

In the annual sojourn to the Installation meetings of the lodges in Linden and New Amsterdam which he hardly ever missed, many of us accompanying him in those earlier days would remember the statutory stops for refreshment that had to be made on the outward as well as the return journey at certain established locations. Unfortunately these rustic watering holes have all been overtaken by the encroaching desert, figuratively speaking, brought about by the peculiar environmental changes which now render such diversions potentially hazardous.

So these are a few anecdotal references by which or for which we will remember him.

I wish to end by sharing with you a little poem, author unknown, that I came across recently, and which I believe Peter Taylor would have appreciated:

It goes like this. I quote.

Life is but a stopping place,
A pause in what’s to be,
A resting place along the road,
To sweet eternity
We all have different journeys,
Different paths along the way,
We all were meant to learn some things,
But never mean to stay…
Our destination is a place,
Far greater than we know.
For some the journey’s quicker,
For some the journey’s slow.
And when the journey finally ends,
We’ll make a great step forward,
And find an everlasting peace,
As our special reward.

End of quote.

He has passed to the Grand Lodge above, and may the Great Architect of the Universe whose intervention he would have invoked on so many occasions during his life time, now receive and preserve his soul until time would be no more.

F C McLean