I uploaded my grandfather’s memoirs to Scribd today. He wrote them over 30+ years and was quite proud of them. I had asked for a bound copy when he died but like most interactions with my family, that didn’t work out. I may upload the memoirs to Lulu.com and have them printed out and bound that way but for now, this is as good as way as any to share them with the world and keep a bit of family history alive.
His obituary can be found here.
I recently uploaded a batch photos to Flickr of my grandfather Alfred Gilkes .
William Alfred Gilkes aged 100, died peacefully in his sleep on Monday, January 22nd 2007, at Dinsdale Personal Care Home. He was born on June 8th 1906 in Georgetown, British Guiana. Known to his many friends as ‘Alfred’, he was a former registered pharmacist and became the owner of Gilkes’s Bourda Pharmacy, Georgetown, British Guiana in the ’50s. He and his wife and family emigrated to England in 1960 where they settled for many years before moving to the USA during 1968 – 1984. Alfred was a Freemason and was made First Grand Principal of the Royal Arch Masons of England. From England he moved to California in 1985 where he worked at Loma Linda University Hospital until he retired. After his beloved wife Emma of 54 years, died, he moved to Canada where he lived with his daughter Marsha and her husband.
Alfred, like his father, enjoyed travelling, and meeting new people, making many friends wherever he went. He loved outdoor activities and particularly swimming, golf and gardening. In Brandon, he played bridge, shuffleboard, scrabble and walked almost every day. He kept himself physically fit and at 99 years, he still made use of his exercise equipment at home, until he was no longer able to do so. He is survived by his sons, Gordon (Arna) and Michael (Joan); daughters Maureen Yates, Marsha (Aubrey Hardinge); eight grandchildren and many great grandchildren. Alfred was predeceased by his wife Emma and son-in-law Ronald.
His autobiography can be found here.