Levit Pereira

Levit Remigio Pereira, Aged 81, passed away on April 8, 2021 in Nairobi, Kenya. Beloved son of late Thome and late Lucy Pereira. Brother of Lionel (UK), Lambert (UK), Luban (UK) and Linda (Goa). Husband of late Tessie. Father of Lorraine, Leonard, Leslie and late Carlos; uncle of several nephews and nieces.

Condolences: pereirabertie948@yahoo.com

Click here to view: The Order of Service for Levit Pereira's First Death Anniversary (April 8, 2022)

My Eulogy For Brother Levit by Lambert Pereira (April 8, 2022)

Reverend Fathers and friends, on behalf of Levit’s family, I extend to you sincere gratitude for being present today for this memorial service for our late brother. We are delighted to have here our sister, Linda, from Goa, as well as Levit’s daughter, Lorraine, who has travelled from Canada to be part of this service for her beloved Dad. I would also like to thank Fr. Chris for his pertinent words of comfort in his Homily - words that will undoubtedly go a long way in bringing consolation to the family.

Over the past two years or so the Covid virus has ravaged the lives of thousands the world over, leaving in its wake a sorry toll of countless deceased relatives and friends. During this period, the news media had been relentless in churning out statistics of those affected by the virus, and of thousands who had succumbed to it. Sadly, Levit was one of those statistics. After a brief spell in hospital in Nairobi, he was spared any further suffering and, a year to this day, was taken home by his Lord and Master. Regretably, due to travel restrictions prevalent at the time, Levit did not have close family by his side during his hospitalisation and subsequent death. Fortunately, in those anxious days of worry and stress, the Goan Welfare Society, and Levit’s close friends, in particular his main confidante, Stella Orao, were able to do the needful, with remote guidance from Luban.

Over the past few weeks as I contemplated and reflected on what I might include in this tribute to my brother, I dug deep into my memory bank only to discover that there were countless instances and inter-actions when our two lives came together. For the sake of brevity, however, I am only able to speak now of some of those memorable moments and times. On this earthly coil, Levit would have touched the lives of many who were fortunate enough to know and love him. The innumerable calls, cards and messages of condolence received following his demise, is testimony to how much Levit was revered and loved by friends worldwide.

Levit was born in 1940 in Eldoret, a small town some 260 miles from the capital, Nairobi, where the rest of us siblings were born. This begs the question ‘Why Eldoret and not Nairobi?' It transpires that our mother, herself a mid-wife, preferred to have her second-born delivered by her mid-wife sister, Aunty Helen, whose doctor husband ran a small medical practice in that town.

Like the rest of us brothers, Levit was educated at the famous Dr Ribeiro Goan School in Parklands, Nairobi. On completion of his secondary schooling in 1957, Levit worked briefly for Kingsway Radio and Refrigeration, before commencing a long stint, as a sound recording engineer, with the national broadcasting company, Voice of Kenya (VOK) Thereafter, Levit was engaged as a lecturer at the Kenya Institute of Mass Media and Communications, where his many students would have benefited from his knowledge and experience working at VOK. Following his retirement, Levit helped in the making of a few movies screened in Kenya. In 2001 he was hired to play the part of the character, Daji Jiwan, in the German film ‘Nowhere in Africa’ which won Academy Awards in Bavaria and in the USA. I guess that must have been a ‘silent role’ in keeping with his persona. On one of his trips to London, Levit was to put his acting skills into action when, dressed suitably as a beggar, fictitiously named Joseph Coutinho, he completely fooled our Aunt Mary into parting with some of her cash. She even went as far as to offer –‘the beggar’ a bowl of soup on the doorstep of Luban’s home. A plea by the beggar to use the toilet was flatly turned down, leaving Aunt Mary sobbing in her soup.

Life, as youngsters in Nairobi was full of fun and frivolity in all our homes in Park Road, Ngara and finally in Nairobi South ‘B’. Those were memorable times when families and friends enjoyed the moderate climate in a land with so much to do and enjoy. There was so much that Levit and I had in common, in particular our sense of adventure and love of all things outdoors - including fishing trips to Athi River, as well as hunting and camping trips to various game reserves, not to mention occasional visits to the BelleVue drive-in cinema nearby.

Like many of our friends and neighbours, we were fortunate enough to grow up in the roaring 60’s with the magical sounds of song and music, and with hardly any cares and concerns about health issues. Those were the times of the Mods, and the Rockers, and of drainpipes and bell-bottoms, all of which trends took the fancy of Levit. He was undoubtedly, a dapper dresser then, with his unique ‘Elvis kiss curl’ and his flowing locks. Together with our mutual friends we would often go into the town centre to savour cups of coffee at famed parlours like ‘Tropicana’ or ‘Rendevous’ and even pop into the one and only Woolworths store to browse through comics like ‘Kit Carson’ and ‘Buck Jones’, or annuals like ‘Dandy’ and ‘Beano’.

Levit’s hobbies were mainly music and tinkering with the engines of old cars, many of which he would have parked outside the house as if it were some sort of workshop. Being technically minded, he would often take apart electrical gadgets of all sorts, then re-assemble them, leaving behind discarded items for someone else to clear, invariably myself.

Hailing, as he did, from a musical family, Levit loved to strum the guitar or tickle the ivories. However, it was our Mum who first learned to play the family piano and also tutored Linda into doing so. Later, all members of the family would play some instrument or another, often entertaining guests on special occasions and even having private ‘jam sessions’. We would all take turns to do the crooning and, like our Mum who sang in the local church choir, we all acquired a passion for singing. When with VOK, Levit featured in a musical show on TV singing the hit ‘Judy’ made famous by Elvis. At the family home, there was never a day that went by without the radio or record player blaring out sounds of the 50’s and 60’s. Very often Levit would bring home records, mostly 45’s, of songs made famous by Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard or Jim Reeves. These records would have been played on the old-fashioned HMV gramophone that we owned at the time.

Levit’s popularity with people meant that he was hardly ever at home. He was very private and rarely shared with us tales of his outdoor activities. These, of course, would have included dalliances with his numerous female admirers, drawn to him no doubt by his unique good looks and his long pony-tail hairstyle. I recall that Levit would very often come home from his official duties well after midnight. So as not to alert our strict Mum, he would tap at my bedroom window so that I could let him in quietly through the back door. This was not a task that I enjoyed as it deprived me of my own ‘beauty sleep’ . On the rare occasion that Mum was awake when Levit came home, there followed a tirade of admonishments and lectures from Mum, none of which seemed to make any difference to his lifestyle. He was really a creature of habit and could never change.

Our devout Catholic upbringing meant lots of prayers and rosaries to recite every evening. Conveniently, Levit was away at such times - on duty he would claim - and was therefore exempted by Mum. Despite his calm outer demeanour, Levit had a burning inner desire to do good, spurned by his deep faith and love of God. Even to the very end he would attend Church services regularly. His letters to us also reflected this evident piety. In December 2012, Levit was to lose his son, Carlos, through skin cancer. This of course left Levit grief-striken and disconsolate.

I feel sure that many will remember Levit as a mild-mannered individual, and one who would never say’Boo to a goose’ However, I have to relate to you that, in our early childhood days in Ngara, we engaged in a bout of fisticuffs, at the end of which I was left with a blooded cut lip. I do not recall what brought about that altercation. It may well have been my trite remarks about one of his girlfriends being cross-eyed or bow-legged. Needless to say I never crossed swords with him again.

At our home in Nairobi South B, the family used to rear numerous white leghorn chickens in a special coop designed, I believe, by Levit. He had a great affinity for those birds and would often have a natter with them. This led to us siblings giving him the nickname ‘Kuku’ (Swahili for chicken) This was later changed to ‘Kiki’ ! At that time, at the crack of dawn one morning, we were woken by quite a cackle coming from the coop. Upon investigation, we discovered 2 of the chickens had been stolen by 2 young boys (totos we called them) who had done a runner. Thankfully, they didn’t get too far. So Levit and I, still in our underpants, caught up with the scoundrels, gave them a swift ‘boot up the backside’ and retrieved our precious kukus.

Personal memories of Levit call to mind a soft-spoken man of great love and compassion for his family and his many friends. He had a particular close bond of love with his older brother, Lionel, and this bond was to continue well into their later years. Despite being separated by thousands of miles, Levit would often telephone his brothers here in the UK, as well as his sister in Goa. Our parents had embedded into our psyche strict values of discipline, love and respect for all who we came into contact with. Nairobi, being a very cosmopolitan city, meant that we rubbed shoulders with individuals from every background. Levit, himself a serial socialiser, had a host of friends from various backgrounds. Even though the rest of the Pereira clan had emigrated either to the UK or to Goa, Levit preferred to stay on in his beloved Kenya. He evidently had an immense love for the land and its people. He did, however, find the time to visit his family in the UK in 1989, 1998 and 2008 respectively. In 1989, when Linda and her family were also here on holiday, we enjoyed a motoring trip to Devon - 8 of us squeezed into my blue Austin Montego saloon. That summer, Levit and I erected a brick shed with a concrete foundation in my back garden. This shed stills stands tall today, as testimony of sound brick-manship. In 1998, Levit was once again able to savour the joys of life in England when he accompanied us on a trip to Norfolk, again with sister Linda.

In 1991, I made a trip to Nairobi to spend some time with Levit. I recall going with him on a trip to the famous Masai Mara game reserve, staying for a week in splendid purpose-built rooms equipped with mosquito-nets as well as hot-and-cold running water, with sumptuous meals to boot. On that trip, soon after dinner, each evening, it was the custom of Levit to venture out into the dark night, chatting and imbibing with the locals, leaving me to ‘hit-the -sack’ and ponder what adventures awaited us the following day.

An overall reflection of Levit’s life reveals a quiet, humble and un-selfish man who just loved life and all the people that were fortunate to make his acquaintance. He was a man of few words but of many special talents, one of which was his ability to get-on amicably with his fellow human beings, with whom he forged strong and lasting bonds of love and friendship. He did not care for money or earthly possessions, but for being with people and enjoying their companionship.

As we journey through life, we all have to carry our crosses, given the many trials and tribulations that one faces. Levit was one who truly bore his cross with much courage but with little fuss! --- a legacy perhaps for all to follow.

Finally, brothers and sisters, a message to my beloved brother:

‘Dearest brother, I thank Our Good and Gracious God for granting me the pleasure and the privilege of being able to accompany you on parts of your journey through life. Anniversaries like today may come and go, but treasured memories of bygone days will linger evermore.

It is said that’ time and tide wait for no man’ and that ‘time is a great healer’. Truly I tell you, time may have tamed the torrent of tears that flowed after you left us. Some of those tears have since vaporized and drifted upwards with you to your heavenly home. Many more tears have since mingled in the rivers of love that will continue to flow through our minds and through our hearts, until we meet again one-day, someday, on that beautiful shore.’

REJOICE IN PARADISE BROTHER!!

A Ode To My Brother, Levit

(On the occasion of his death on April 8th, 2021)

By Lambert de Lourdes Pereira

_______________________

A Tribute To My Late Brother, Levit Pereira

In these present times of the global pandemic it is not unusual to hear or read of thousands of deaths worldwide from the un-relenting, the un-loved beast of a virus termed Covid19. Daily news broadcasts reveal mass graves being prepared for those who have succumbed to the virus. Such was the fate of my brother Levit who died in hospital in Nairobi on Thursday 8th April 2021 with no close relatives by his side. It is my belief that when one is nearing the end, one is never ever alone - God being omnipresent and omnipotent is always by one’s side, perhaps in the form of a guardian angel.

In his life on this earthly core Levit would have touched the lives of many who were fortunate enough to know and love him. The innumerable calls, cards and messages of condolence that we have received in recent days are testimony to the fact that Levit was well revered and loved by friends worldwide. My own personal memories of Levit as a cog in the ever-revolving wheel of the Pereira household, recall to mind a soft-spoken man of great love and compassion for his family and his many friends. Our family of five siblings comprised the eldest Lionel, Levit, Lambert, Luban, and Linda, our only sister and the youngest. Levit was born in 1940 in the town of Eldoret, and like the rest of us brothers, was educated at the famous Dr Ribeiro Goan School in Parklands, Nairobi. On completion of his secondary schooling in 1957, Levit worked briefly for Kingsway Radio and Refrigeration, before commencing a long stint with the national broadcasting company, Voice of Kenya (VOK) as a sound recording engineer. Thereafter Levit was engaged as a lecturer at the Kenya Institute of Mass Media and Communications (KIMMC) where his many students would have benefited from his knowledge and experience working at VOK. Following his retirement, Levit helped in the making of a few movies screened in Kenya. He also played the part of Daji Jiwan in the 2001 German film ‘Nowhere in Africa’ ( original title ‘Nirgendwo in Afrika’) which won Academy Awards in Bavaria and USA in 2002 and 2003 respectively.

As youngsters growing up in Nairobi, life in the Pereira household was full of fun and frivolity in all our homes in Park Road, Ngara and finally in Nairobi South ‘B’. Our parents being staunch Catholics embedded into our hearts and minds strict values of discipline, and, above all, of love and respect for all who we came into contact with. Nairobi being a very cosmopolitan city meant that we rubbed shoulders with individuals from every background. Levit himself, being the serial socialiser that he was, had a host of friends from various backgrounds. Even though the rest of the Pereira clan had emigrated either to Goa or to the UK, Levit preferred to remain in his beloved Kenya. He evidently had an immense love for the land and its people.

Levit’s hobbies were mainly music and tinkering with old cars – bangers I would say – many of which he would have parked outside the house as if it were some sort of garage. Being technically minded he would often take apart gadgets of all sorts, then re-assemble them, leaving behind a room full of discarded items for someone else to clear. Hailing as he did from a musical family, Levit loved to strum the guitar or tickle the ivories. My Mum played the family piano and also tutored Linda into doing so. In later life in Goa, Linda was to have her own School of Music, giving piano and violin tuitions to aspiring students. Dad, I recall in the 50’s played the double bass for a band called ‘Blue Notes’. Later, all members of the family would play some instrument or another, often entertaining guests on special occasions and even having private ‘jam sessions’. We would all take turns to do the crooning and, like our Mum who sang in the local church choir, we all acquired a passion for singing. Both Luban and I continued that trend years later, being part of church choirs in the UK. Back in Nairobi there was never a day that went by without the gramophone or record player blaring out sounds of the 50’s and 60’s. Very often Levit would come home with records, mostly 45’s, of songs made famous by Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard or Jim Reeves. Those were wonderful years listening to the sounds of the 60’s in our humble abode in Nairobi South ‘B’. When with VOK, Levit featured in a musical show on TV singing the hit ‘Judy’ made famous by Elvis. He also featured along with Henry Braganza, Gilbert Fernandes and the late Xavier Almeida, in a muscal extravaganza called ‘the 65 Special’.

Levit’s popularity with people meant that he was hardly ever at home. He was very private and therefore did not share with us tales of his outdoor activities. These of course would have included dalliances with his numerous female admirers, drawn to him no doubt by his inimitable good looks aka James Dean, not to mention his long pony-tail hairstyle akin to Wild Bill Hickok. I recall that Levit would very often come home well after midnight, and so as not to alert my strict Mum, he would tap at my window so that I could let him in quietly through the back door. This was not a task that I enjoyed as it deprived me of my own ‘beauty sleep’ so to speak. On the rare occasion that Mum was to be awake when Levit came home, there followed a torrent of admonishments and lectures from Mum, none of which made any difference to Levit. He was really a creature of habit all through his life and could never change. I remember that when our Mum died in Betalbatim, Goa in 1974, Levit was there for the funeral. However, instead of being with the family during the period of mourning, Levit would borrow a ramshackle bicycle and travel to the neighbouring village of Benaulim to meet with one of his best friends, Albino Leitao. I also recall that on another previous family visit to Goa, our parents paid for Levit and I to have private violin tuitions. Just to please them we duly obliged and had for a few weeks to tolerate the sound of the violins like screeching cats. Needless to say, neither of us continued to play this instrument, much to the dismay of our parents. Our devout Catholic upbringing meant lots of rosaries and prayers recited every evening. Conveniently Levit was away at such times - on duty he would claim - and was therefore exempted by Mum. However, Levit certainly had deep faith and was very prayerful in his own way. Even to the very end he would attend Church services regularly. He obviously wished to make up for lost time and seek forgiveness and mercy from His Creator.

Levit did visit the UK in 1998 and again in 2013. On both occasions it was sheer delight to have him around, and we were all able to holiday in my car to both Devon and Norfolk. He was adept at brick-laying and helped in erecting my concrete garden shed.

An overall reflection of Levit’s life reveals a quiet, un-selfish and un-flustered man who just loved life and all the people that were fortunate to make his acquaintance. He was a man of few words but of many special and innate talents, one of which was his ability to get-on amicably with his fellow human beings, with whom he forged strong and lasting bonds of love and friendship to the very end. Levit leaves behind a legacy of love of life and of fellowship with all. He did not care for money or earthly possessions but for being with people and enjoying life to the full. He would often come to the help of others when needed, and was at one time associated with the Goan Welfare Society (GWS) in Nairobi, helping out at funerals and other events. It is ironic that it was GWS that was to come to his aid whenever he fell on hard times. Moreover, as none of Levit’s family were present when Levit took ill and sadly passed away, it was GWS that handled all the arrangements for his hospitalization, funeral service etc for which Levit’s brothers provided the necessary funds. I have therefore to say that I, and the rest of Levit’s family, are truly thankful and hugely appreciative of all the help and support rendered by members of GWS, in particular by the chairlady, Desiree Gomes and the treasurer, Cedric Nicholls.

One of my hobbies is penning odes to suit every occasion, and in the last few days I came across one word that stood out among the many condolence cards received. That word is SYMPATHY. Based therefore on this word, I have composed the following ode:

On behalf of Levit’s family, I would like to express our sincere and heartfelt gratitude for the many condolence messages that we have received following Levit’s death – messages that go a long way to alleviate the pain and sorrow that we feel at this time. One of the beatitudes in the Bible states’ blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted’. As we now mourn our departed brother, we are comforted in the knowledge and belief that it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Coincidentally, Levit passed away in Resurrection week along with the noble Duke of Edinburgh. Now the prince and the pauper will be guests at the Divine Banquet in a new world!

Rest in Peace brother !

As and when circumstances permit, it is hoped that our family will be able to have a proper memorial service for our brother Levit, both here in the UK as well as in Nairobi.

By Lambert de Lourdes Pereira