Ganesh "Philip Kanhoye" Prasad

Ganesh Prasad, also known as Philip Kanhoye, was born on May 17, 1925 in Port Mourant, Guyana. He was the second of five children. His early years were marked by illnesses and poor health. As a frail and impoverished young man, he excelled in school at St John's Anglican School. Due to his poor sight, he had to leave school. However, his headmaster noticed his aptitude for learning and recommended him to become an intern bookkeeper. He was a conscientious worker and a student of academic learning, which he pursued as a foreign correspondence student buying books from England. He then successfully earned his diploma in bookkeeping from the University of London.

Mr. Prasad married Lilawati Harnarain in 1947 at the tender age of 22. They have eight children, six girls: Vivian, Chandra, Nalini, Kamini, Mohini, Nirmala and two boys: Varuna and Mahendra. Ganesh and his family migrated to America in 1978. He and Lilawati celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary last year.

Mr. Prasad was a strong advocate of education and continued learning. He had a hunger for knowledge. He was a quiet man with a tender disposition and loved to explore varied subject areas like philosophy, religion and politics. His writing and verbal skills were remarkable. People were often amazed by his command of the English language and his vocabulary. Even at the age of 89, he was able to recite from memory his favorite poem, "The Psalm of Life" by Longfellow. His positive outlook on life attracted many. He was a faithful Yankee fan and never missed watching a game.

He followed various religious philosophies, but in his latter years, chose to be a believer in Jesus Christ. He read his Bible often. His favorite passages were Psalm 23 and Ephesians 3.

We are thankful to have had such a one in our lives. We miss him already. He is survived by his wife, eight children, twenty-two grandchildren and four great grandchildren.