Great supporter ‘Uncle Les’ dies

THE West Indian cricket fraternity has been thrown into mourning following news of the death of its staunchest supporter, Lester Armoogam, familiarly known as “Uncle Les,” who succumbed to a heart attack on Saturday. Armoogam who reportedly witnessed 132 Test matches by the West Indies team succumbed to a massive heart attack at the SurgiMed Nursing Home in San Fernando at 6 pm on Saturday.

The 64-year-old passed away peacefully after speaking to his wife of 44 years, Jean. Speaking to Newsday yesterday, Armoogam’s daughter Reena said, “dad felt unwell on Thursday and although we were behind him to go for a check up, he said he was alright. “When he awoke on Saturday morning, we again asked him to visit the doctor and he decided to go in the afternoon. While at the nursing home, he spoke to us and everything was fine,” she continued. “My mom told him she was going home to get clothes and will be back to spend the night with him. He said alright and when she returned she got the worse possible news. One thing that the family is really holding on to is the fact that he passed away peacefully.

My father was a great man and words really cannot describe him,” Reena cried. Armoogam’s wife Jean told Newsday, “we are still in shock over Lester’s passing...he will be sorely missed by us and I am sure by many people. Only last night a friend of his from Australia  called him concerning coming over to view the cricket and when we told him Lester passed away, he started to bawl,” Mrs Armoogam said. “Such was the affection people had for Lester. Armoogam was the managing director of Armoogam Frabricating Services and after working hard all his life, he decided to travel around the world with the West Indies team,” Mrs Armoogam continued.

She said many of the West Indies players regarded “Unlce Les” as a father figure and he was particularly close to Guyanese and West Indies player Shivnarine Chanderpaul who spent holiday’s at his (Armoogam) home on many occasions. Funeral arrangements have been tentatively set for Wednesday at Claxton Bay, with the family awaiting the return of Lester’s son Wayne, who is in America. Lester leaves to mourn his wife, two children and three grandchildren.