Obituary, Richard Hobday (B2 1944 – 48)

Richard Oswald Hobday (B2 1944-48) ‘Dick’ came to the West Indies, having spent his teenage years in England during WW2.

An outstanding pioneer and leader of the accounting profession in the Caribbean, he was President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Trinidad and Tobago and head of Pannell Kerr Foster for the Caribbean.

Dick loved cricket and was Treasurer of the West Indies Cricket Board in the late 1970s to early 1980s. He was chairman of the Caribbean Association of PKF firms from Guyana to the Bahamas. Dick supported and mentored many of T&T’s top accountants for years.

He was also head of The Gardening Club of Trinidad & Tobago and an active member of the Trinidad & Tobago Orchid Club. He was totally immersed in Caribbean culture, its sports, entertainments, musical events, and of course its corporate life.

I knew Uncle Dick since I was a kid, firstly as neighbours in the hills of Port of Spain, and we would meet on my return visits, and in London and Barbados. He recommended I go to Marlborough College. “MC is a tough old place, and a bit spartan in my day.” On my last visit, he showed off his expertly tendered Fondes Amandes gardens. “Ravi, I love it here, I won’t ever leave this place”.

He possessed a profound understanding of a country, often in the midst of successive upheavals that few people could grasp. I, and many others, considered him the guru of Trinidad & Tobago. He was proud of, and loved his adopted country, remaining loyal to it, whilst others ran for cover.

Born: Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka  20 December 1930

Died: Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago 1 May 2021

Ravi Lockyer (B2 1984 – 89)