The World Has Lost A True Gentleman

In the untimely death of Joe Antao, not only Chandor or Goa, but the world has lost a true gentleman which is indeed a very rare breed to find in today’s world.
Personally I consider it my good fortune for having known Joe for the last 34 years and having worked closely with him for over 12 years including 34 years ago when both of us were associated with the Jaycees which is now known as Junior Chamber.

I have never ever seen Joe losing his temper or raising his voice and I am sure neither has anybody else including his family members. That was because Joe believed in discussing and convincing people rather than arguing and compelling people. This was his behavior at home too as revealed by his son Glenn.

My earliest memory of Joe is of the graceful dancer that he was and how he would glide across the dance floor with his wife Philoo matching him step to step. It was indeed a pleasure to see him take to the dance floor. When Ganv Bhavancho Ekvott conducted ball room dancing classes a couple of years ago, Joe was the dance master who trained the youngsters and they I hope will carry forward his legacy of graceful dancing.

He was also a very talented musician and there have been many parties I attended where Joe led the singing with him at his guitar. In fact, at the last Discover Goa trip of Ganv Bhavancho Ekvott, he made the rainy night come alive with his singing.

Joe was an advocate by profession and a very good one at that though he used to never boast about his achievements or success. He was the only visiting lecturer at both the Law Colleges in Goa and practically all the lawyers who got their degree from Goa University, learnt drafting from him. He was an accomplished criminal lawyer too and testimony to that is the fact that he good Mahanand Naik – termed ‘serial killer’ by the police – acquitted in a couple of cases. When this achievement of his was published by me he was embarrassed and ticked me off for doing it. Humility was another great asset he had.

He was a very helpful person who never said no to anybody but went out of his way to help people. That is why when he was appointed Notary, he introduced this service in the village thereby enabling many people specially the senior citizens from getting their documents in the village itself instead of travelling to the towns of Margao or Curchorem or Quepem.
Innumerable at the people for whose functions including marriages Joe was either the toastmaster or the master of ceremonies. In fact he was the master of ceremony for my marriage where the reception was washed out by a thunderstorm. The reception may have been washed out but a deep friendship developed between us.

Joe never worked for money and that is why he was one of the lawyers given free legal aid cases where the client would not pay any fees and a minimal amount would be paid by the free legal aid cell. Besides that he would freely dispense legal advice without charging any consultation fee specially to the villagers and his friends.

He had great love for the village and was actively involved in practically all the village organisations and institutions including Ganv Bhavancho Ekvott. In fact he readily joined Ganv Bhavancho Ekvott when told that the organization aims at destroying the boundary between Chandor and Guirdolim and now we have lost one arm that would have helped us in this mission. Joe was always there for any and every project of Ganv Bhavancho Ekvott. As mentioned earlier, he conducted the dancing classes. He also conducted a talk for the students of St Joseph’s Educational Institute on etiquette and manners.

In fact Joe has been the president of Chandor Jaycees, Guirdolim Club and the founder Moderator of the Chandor Parish Pastoral Council. He was very involved in the Church and its activities. Besides being a member of the choir he used to conduct the Basic Christian Committee meetings and in fact conducted two on the eve of his illness that claimed his life.
Joe has also served the village of Guirdolim as its sarpanch and he was a very good sarpanch too. What was truly amazing about him is that he stood firm on his decision not to contest again as he believed that new leadership has to be developed. Even when there was pressure to contest again and he was being lured with the post of Sarpanch for another term, he did not budge. What a difference when today people clamour to be sarpanch even if it is for a couple of months.

Despite being more than 60 years old, Joe was young at heart and more like a teenager in his enthusiasm and zeal to do things. I remember him at the Discover Goa programme last year gleefully enjoying the sights and specially the bananas growing against gravity. I remember him participating in all our cleanliness drives. His soft and persuasive voice, even today, rings in my ears. I shall definitely miss him a lot but I have the great honour or acknowledging that I knew this wonderful person and worked with him and of course learnt a lot from him which I treasure immensely.

Julio D’Silva