Peter Samuel Snr dead at 80

Peter Samuel Snr, the former civil servant, mas player, swimmer and marksman, died peacefully at his Westmoorings home yesterday at 1.30 pm. Samuel Snr was 80. While his aunts weren’t taking the death so well, his famed son Peter Samuel Jnr said he had to be strong at this time. He fondly remembered his father, stating that the older Samuel was an avid mas player, who revelled in playing mas with the likes of Harold Saldenah and Ken Morris. “He was very much into mas and he was also my biggest supporter. When I played king, he was always there with me backstage. Perhaps that is where I took it from,” Samuel Jnr said.

About six years ago, Samuel Snr suffered a heart attack, and although his son said that he had gotten better, he had to undergo major surgery a few years after. About two years ago, Samuel Snr developed Parkinson’s disease but his health only deteriorated about two weeks ago. “He had a good innings,” Samuel Jnr said. He went on: “It was coming. It wasn’t a shock because he was not well for the last couple of days. He went very peaceful. The best thing is that he didn’t suffer. He was home, he played with his grandchildren up to yesterday.” The younger Samuel added that his father was one of the first people to visit his (Samuel Jnr) Tragarete Road Mas Camp from where his son brought out “Five Rivers” from the band River Dance by Masquerade. Samuel Jnr said: “He even came there after Carnival, eager to find out how things went.”

Samuel Snr was the Chief Superintendent at the Lands and Surveys section of the Ministry of Agriculture for quite a number of years. At one time he was the captain of the Rifle Association, and was also the founder of the Flying Fish Swimming Pool in Federation Park. Samuel Snr became a WITCO Sports Hall of Famer in 1995 for administration in Swimming.