‘Country boy’ Trevor makes it big

Just try getting an interview with Trevor “Rex” Baddaloo and you would realise and be amazed that one human being can carry out all the functions he does in his timeless world.

Rex, as he is affectionately called by his friends and business associates, comes from the rural area of Poole in South East Trinidad. He rose from a humble beginning to a position of tremendous respect both in the business and community circles. He devoted most of his life to helping others, which he says is his devotion to God. In addition to running his own agency at Guardian Life, San Fernando, Rex is the president of the Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International, South Chapter and a member of the Princes Town Rotary Club. He is also the president of the National Council on Alcoholism and Other Addictive Drugs (NCA & OA). Rex was born to Harold and Elizabeth Baddaloo in September 1956 at Poole, Rio Claro. His father was principal of the Poole Presbyterian Primary School where he gained his early education. Rex was always a bright child and did his school proud by passing for Naparima College, San Fernando. This is where he would get caught up with the bright lights and derail the expectations of his parents. “When I passed for Naparima College, I started living with my uncle in San Fernando.

I really messed up, never applied myself to my work and although I played cricket and football for Naparima College, I still did not do well in the academics. “From here I passed out of school and was taken by my father — a remarkable man I must say — to the Ibis High School and I gave it another shot. Here I decided to apply myself to my work and soon I came through with a full certificate. I got seven O’Levels and I remembered a saying my father always told me, ‘when you fail thousands are ahead of you’. I use this principle until today and I must say his influence on me is still very evident. “After school I started to teach at Ibis and I even tried my hand at selling pots and pans to make a living. At this time I got caught up in drinking and liming and this really took me down the wrong road. I started to work at the National Insurance Board (NIB) and the drinking continued, until they decided to shift me from San Fernando to Couva in order to break up the lime. “I decided to leave the job and go out on my own. I got into tax consulting and had to create employment for myself. A point reached in my life where I really needed help to get away from the drinking and it came quite by accident. I had a neighbour and I thought the other neighbours had called on a man named ‘Radhay’ to help him out. They asked me to come along not knowing that it was me, I went ahead. This man, now deceased, really helped me and took me to therapy meetings, where I got help. “I was so thankful that I decided to help others by forming a drug support programme. We went to all areas of the country and especially schools spreading our message and this really helped.”

In 1978 Rex made a highly successful move getting married to Vindra at the age of 22 years. “She was always very supportive of me and I must say that without her I would not have reached where I am today.” The couple celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary two weeks ago and their three children were on hand to join in the festive mood. Rex and Vindra have two daughters, Risha and Reshma, both at St Joseph’s Convent and one son Rossi, who is earning a degree in Computer Science at the University of the West Indies in St Augustine. In 1983 Rex started off a career in the financial services with a financial group and left as the Regional Manager South earlier this year. “I learnt a lot and enjoyed my 20 years with them. However I took a principled stand and left the company. I am now with Guardian Life and I have my agency in San Fernando. I thought that the move would have benefitted my clients and hence I made the decision to leave.” With Christmas in the air, Rex has already started planning for certain charities and will be going back to his primary school to offer treats to the students as he has been doing for the previous years. Rex ended by saying that all in his life was given to him by the Almighty Jesus and that he truly believes in one of his father’s saying’s which is “When you walk you don’t walk alone.”