Gy Rampersaud (23 Feb 1951 - 6 Aug 2024)

I’ll always remember you my good and faithful friend. Soon after you moved to Gravesend Grammar School in the 3rd year, when playing football during a school break, I fouled you crudely and dangerously with a tackle. I must admit, and you knew it, it was premeditated - you were just too good for me ! We both fell to the ground, you picked me up literally by the neck, told me in no uncertain terms never ever to do that again, and put me down again. It was over in a flash and a lifetime of close friendship was borne. I certainly knew never to mess with you again !
From that moment onward we developed a close bond with our shared interests like football and music and - dare I say it - the opposite sex.
Playing football rather than rugby at our elitist school was shunned and discriminated against. So we formed our own team to play in a local over 16s league, funded the cost of a pitch, referees, etc ourselves. We even went on to be runners-up in the Leagues Cup competition. Fortunately, most probably, some of our other plans never saw the light of day - like quitting school after O levels and moving to London to share a flat together to enjoy an anticipated bohemian lifestyle !

We’ve grown up a bit together since then. We’ve shared each others weddings, the birth of our children, holidays, our careers, and then grandchildren. Through all of this I believe we’ve always known that the mutual trust we have in each other has been absolute, we’ve always had each others backs, and shared a lot of fun and friendship - together with Maureen and Yvonne - along the way. You’re absolutely unique and irreplaceable as a friend and I will miss you but you’ll always be in my thoughts.
Dob/David

What a wonderful man he was and we all admired him greatly. Gy is a very big loss to the whole community and a very good friend to us. Geoff very much enjoyed the boys nights out. With our deepest sympathy, lots of love Pam and Geoff Parker

Sleep safe Cous. I will never forget the time we spent at the caravan when we were kids. God only knows how many of us managed to fit into it. We had such a good time, dressing up in the hawaiian costumes left behind on the beach, sometimes even putting tentative toes in the freezing waters of Bracklesham Bay.

We didn’t do that too often did we – probably because we both owned swimming costumes that had been lovingly hand knitted by our respective mothers. Much appreciated by us until we actually got in the briny and said costumes filled with water and sank to our knees.

I also remember both you and I were pretty scared of the earwigs that used to run above our heads on the ceiling. Granny’s exhortations that they wouldn’t do us any harm didn’t really cut the mustard either did it..

Thanks for everything Gydie.

All love from Karen & Fred, Tone, Sue and family. xxx

Gy the best athlete of our year at school a great friend who first introduced me to Otis Redding. It's been almost 60 years of friendship. RIP