Veteran Guyanese journalist memorialized

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:01 by GxMedia

Family, friends and colleagues of veteran journalist Courtney Emmanuel Gibson, on Saturday gathered at the St Sidwell’s Anglican Church, Georgetown , Guyana for a Memorial and Service in Thanksgiving for his 60 years of life.
 
In his tribute, Opposition Leader and Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform, Brigadier (Retired) David Granger, said that Gibson’s legacy would be his resilient contribution to mass media in the 1970’s and 1980’s for which he became the standard bearer. He was the founder and Director of Guyana News Agency which has been re-borned as GINA. He was also a PNC stalwart having held the posts of Public Relations Officer and Editor of the party’s newspaper the New Nation.

Granger encouraged young journalist to “lodge themselves in the branches of the tree that he (Courtney Gibson) planted” and try to emulate his good work. Noting that though he stood steadfast to improve his community and country, he never received the rich rewards he deserved.  He was a “protagonist of his profession and party and will be remembered with affection”
 
Reverend Rollins from the St Simon’s and St Jude’s Anglican Church in St Maarten highlighted the fact that Courtney Gibson was a loyal in his service to the Church and was the Churchs’ People’s Warden at the time of his passing. He said Gibson used the Daily Herald “to proclaim the Gospel” as excerpt of the Sunday sermons would appear on many occasions showing that he was able to integrate his professional  and  private lives.
 
In an emotional tribute, daughter Juel Gibson said her father was far from perfect and often annoyed herself and siblings with his guidelines for the family listing several which included how to answer the telephone, use of the English Language, dress and conduct of themselves in public.  Despite this, he was humble, generous, loved to laugh and was selfless in giving.
 
He was eulogised by daughter Coel Jones who spoke of his childhood in the village of Adventure on the Essequibo Coast and his involvement with the Diocesan Youth Council, school activities at the Anna Regina Government School, his first job with the Ministry of Agriculture and progression as a journalist.
 
Other tributes were given in music and spoken word. The officiating Priest was the Reverend Monsel Alves.
 
Courtney Gibson died on June 2, 2013 in the U.S.A. after a short battle period of illness and left to mourn his mother, sister, wife and three children.