Guyanese Online

Veteran broadcaster and administrator, Terry Holder, dies

Terry Holder

 Condolences are pouring in for Terence (Terry) Holder, former Deputy Manager of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) and a well-known personality in the sports fraternity, who passed away at his Bel Air Park home yesterday (January 8), after a period of illness.

A sports enthusiast, known also for setting high standards in the local broadcasting field, the 73-year-old father of four was recognized for his public relations skills and easy-going attitude which landed him many a prominent part in social and business organizations. 
His daughter, Dawn, confirmed that ‘Terry’, who had been ailing for a while, died in the presence of close family members at his home yesterday afternoon .

Fellow Rotarian, Conrad Plummer, said that Guyana lost a great son. “He was a man of integrity…a hard-worker who got things done.”

The former banker admitted that while Holder’s passing was not unexpected as he had been ill for some time, he was nevertheless “bowled” over by the news.
”A good broadcaster, tremendous person…it will be difficult to get back from others what he has given…”
Former co-worker and friend, Yog Mahadeo, too, was emotional. “He was first and foremost a gentleman and a professional. For me he was a teacher and father-figure. We have lost a good, solid man who could have provided valuable training to the media, advising on discipline and reporting.”
Former Chief Executive Officer of GT&T, Major General (Ret’d), Joe Singh, who worked with Holder, recalled a man whose dignity made him humble and who aspired to the highest possible standards in his work.
Singh disclosed that Holder would have transitioned to the new company GT&T, in the early 90’s. “He took an active role in personnel and union, and played a critical mentoring role also to staffers. My sincere condolences to his family and friends at this time.”
Pamela Briggs, GT&T’s Director of Customer Services, too was at a loss for words. She worked with him for many years. “We knew he was ill but had started to come around. He was very eloquent, very professional in his duties at GT&T. At one time, he was the face of GT&T.”
Born in Skeldon in 1940, Holder’s family moved to the city.
A disciplined person by nature, he excelled in the academic field, securing a coveted scholarship to Queen’s College (QC) in 1952.
There he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Dr. Walter Rodney, Dr. Walter Ramsahoye and Ewart Thomas, who is now a professor at Stanford University in the United States, Vic Insanally who was extremely good at languages, J.P. Croal who was an excellent scholar, Professor Winston McGowan and Alvin Thompson, among others.
An ardent lover of sports, ‘Terry’ participated at a high level in a number of disciplines, particularly athletics (sprinting), football, cricket and table tennis. He conceded, in an interview with Kaieteur News as a ‘Special Person’, that table tennis was his favourite.
He played cricket with Deryck Murray, former West Indies wicket keeper; ran with Wendell Motley who ended up getting a silver and a bronze medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo; and even played football and scored against Lincoln Phillips…hailed as probably the best goal keeper in Trinidad.
He has also served on the National Sports Council and was an executive member of the Guyana Table Tennis Association. Holder was part of the Guyana contingent that traveled to Beijing, China, in 1973 – he was with the table tennis team – to participate in the first Asia, Africa and Latin American Nations Invitational Tournament.
The team included stars such as Garth Isaacs, Dudley Thomas, Mike Baptiste, Denise Osman, Doreen Chow-wah and Carol Davidson among others.
In 1968 when the Government took over and acquired what would be the Guyana Broadcasting Service, he was Programme Director when it first took to the airwaves on October 1, 1968.
Holder was also one of the members of the media fraternity credited with the formation of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union, which was inaugurated in Guyana in November 1970.
In 1980, while General Manager of the Guyana Broadcasting Corporation, he was elected President of the CBU where he fought for betterment of the media fraternity in Guyana as well as sister states in the region.
In 1992, following his stint in Barbados with the CBU, when he was asked to come home to Guyana and work with the new telephone company (Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company) he said, he was unsure given that, he had never worked in the private sector before.
He drew reference to his 25 years in the Rotary Club of Guyana, which allows him to assist people in need.
“It gives so much satisfaction after working hard five days a week to give up the weekends to go into a community and bend the back to mark a traffic sign on the road or paint a building…The satisfaction comes when you see people benefit from what you have done…I want to be remembered for the little contributions that I have been pleased to give.”
He has also held positions in the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association and the Guyana Cricket Board.
When asked how he would like to be remembered in the annals of history, ‘Terry’ in 2009, was humble in his response to Kaieteur News: “I would like to be remembered as someone who has tried to put community first…I have been in organizations that have helped me to see how to work with people in communities and make a difference in their lives.”

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