Lynette Dolphin, 'Dollo' to her old boys, died peacefully at her home at 1.30 on the afternoon of Tuesday 8th February, the day after her 84th birthday. She had devoted 60 years unstinted service to her country in the fields of education and culture, from a humble pupil-teacher to Chairman (she disliked 'chairperson' and recognised a chair as something you sat on) of the Department of Culture, a post she held for over 25 years until her retirement in 1992. That was in a formal capacity. In truth she continued to serve Guyana until the day of her death.
Her funeral three days later was of a scale rarely witnessed in Guyana. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Brickdam, (where Lynette's maternal grandfather Aloysius de Weever had been organist for 20 years) was filled to capacity. Dignitaries attending included President Bharrat Jagdeo, PM (old boy) Sam Hinds, Minister of Culture Gail Teixeira (whose maternal grandfather Major Henwood, former Director of Music of the BG Militia (now the Police) Band, had worked with Lynette on many a musical occasion), Opposition Leader Desmond Hoyte, QC Old Students' Association President (Police Commissioner) Laurie Lewis who was a pall bearer, Mayor of Georgetown (old boy) Hamilton Green who delivered a tribute, and many others too numerous to mention. Also in attendance was the Woodside Choir, of which Lynette had been patron, under (old boy) Billy Pilgrim whose moving rendition of 'Hush Somebody's calling my Name' brought a tear to many an eye.
Lynette's last days are beautifully described in a eulogy delivered at the funeral by Yvonne (Granger) Mbozi who has graciously allowed me to quote from her text:
"When the night shades round us gather
Teach, oh teach us how to die."
These words remembered from our school song at Charlestown Convent came to me as Lynette left us. Lynette was a serene, gracious, talented, capable, yet humble person who seemed to manage even the manner of her going which she did with humour, grace and dignity. Lynette taught me how to die.
When on 13th January Lynette was told that three internal organs were ravaged by cancer and she did not have much time left, her response was that she needed two weeks to complete her project compiling Amerindian folk music. The main work was done, but she wanted to do the notes herself. As the news broke I called her to see if she felt like receiving visitors. She asked me to come and see her. We swapped jokes, she reminisced on the humorous things in her life, and the only thing that seemed to have changed was that we now sat in her bedroom rather than the sitting room. As the bouquets from shocked and grateful former students and friends began to arrive [including one from this Association on her birthday] we joked that she was blessed to be able to see them rather than smell them from below, that she was able to read the eulogies in the letters of appreciation and thanks for kindness done, and that she could respond to telephone calls and give the caller the comfort of being able to say 'I was able to thank Lynette for her valuable contribution to my life'.
Lynette was truly blessed in that her heart's wishes were granted during the last weeks. She was able to complete her project [Twenty Amerindian Folk Songs, shortly to be published], go to the bank to put her affairs in order, make her own funeral arrangements, and after, make arrangements for her 84th birthday celebration. It was only after the birthday mass that she said, 'I am satisfied, I could go now'. And as we know, the next day she was gone."
Lynette de Weever Dolphin was born on 7th February 1916, the second of nine children. The first nine years of her life were spent at De Willem village (near Windsor Forest) on West Coast Demerara where her father was the headmaster of a local school and her mother the music teacher. Lynette would come to follow in the footsteps of both her parents.
