Saluted for his Contributions

Aug 19, 2024 Sports

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Honouring the memory of Hewley Henry…

Kaieteur Sports – As Guyanese mourn the passing of former basketball great, 83 years old Hewley Henry, who passed away last Wednesday, 7th August, in the United States, the Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF) President Michael Singh and its General Secretary Patrick Haynes, in a release reflected: “It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Hewley Henry, a cherished member of our basketball community and a true legend of the sport. Hewley Henry was not only a former national basketball player and coach who represented our Guyana with unparalleled passion and dedication, but also a beloved friend, mentor, and inspiration to many.

On behalf of the Guyana Basketball Federation, we extend our deepest condolences to Hewley Henry’s family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you as we all navigate this profound loss together.

In honouring Hewley Henry’s memory, let us continue to carry forward his passion for basketball and commitment to fostering a community built on respect, integrity, and excellence.”

President of the GABF going into the early 1970s Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira commented: “Henry developed himself and a Ravens team to a very high standard and they played a systematic game. They had the players who can shoot outside of the zone. Players who can get inside and he had really masterminded, he was the brains behind what was now a new look Ravens Basketball Club. Ravens under Henry became a very organized, systematic drilled side.

According to Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira Henry was outstanding when British Guiana (Guyana) defeated Dutch Guiana (Suriname) for the first time in 1962,” before we became an Independent nation in 1966.

Actually, Reds Perreira, Sports Advisor under then Minister of Sports Ms. Shirley Field Ridley   in the 1970s claimed “There was a turning point for Guyana basketball under Hewley Henry, with Ken Corsbie as coach, where we beat Suriname for the first time in the 1960s.”

In April 1962, British Guiana (Guyana) took the first game of the three-match series 64-42, Suriname rebounded to snatch victory in game two, 66-52, but Guyana took the series 2-1 with a heart-throbbing single-point win, 61-60, in the third and deciding game, with Henry being the mastermind, scoring 14, 8 and 17 points respectively in that series.

‘Reds’ Perreira said that game against Puerto Rico in San Juan in 1973 at the Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Games where it was Mike Brusche who popped in 32 points at Roberto Clemente Stadium, caused the crowd on hand “to give the Guyana team, a standing ovation for our spirit and never give up attitude exhibit for a small country playing such a high standard of basketball.”

Brother of Mike Brusche and former National player Clifton Brusche, who played and toured with Hewley Henry, when contacted yesterday from his New York base, had fond memories of Henry. Clifton Brusche recalled: “When I started playing basketball in the late 1960s, Hewley was my first coach, not only my coach he was my teacher at St. Ambrose School, and when I moved over to Christ Church Secondary School, he was the Principal at Christ Church. He was my Under 19 Coach when we went to Suriname.”

Clifton added “In 1974, Barbados National team was in Guyana, and I made the Junior national team. Barbados was beating up on the Senior National team, this guy Jones, he was the big guard, nobody could have marked that guy. So, hear what Hewley did, he said Clifton I want you to play on this Junior National. You know we beat Barbados, our junior national team. So Hewley Henry said to me, report to the National team tomorrow, Sunday, we had played Saturday, and they were playing the Senior national team the next day.  He promoted me to the Senior National team, just like that. Because nobody could have held that guy Jones. I was the only man (that) could have hold him.”

He was always that kind of reserved person, very reserved also he was a health freak. Hewley introduced me to conkie, because back in those days we had no supplement and that is what we used to use as a multivitamin in the 1960s.”

Out of Florida in the United States of America the former GABF Vice President  Al Mc Donald (aka Naisan Chapman) remarked: “A disciplinarian, a teacher, a beloved Guyanese basketball coach crossed the river of life onto the great beyond a few days ago in Houston Texas after moulding scores of young men and women from St Ambrose, Christ Church schools, RAVENS BASKETBALL CLUB, and Burnham Court enthusiasts into exceptional and noteworthy individuals some of whom represented the Land of Many Waters at the national level. His name was and is HEWLEY HENRY and certainly will be remembered in the annals of time in the historical volumes of the Dear Land Of Guyana, El Dorado”

Army Colonel (Ret.) Carl Morgan, another past president who now lives in Canada on hearing of Henry’s passing forwarded “When I was elected President of the Guyana Amateur Baseball Federation in 1985 he was the National Coach, taking the Men’s team to the Caricom Basketball Championships in Barbados that year.  However, on the return of Mike Brushe from a one-year coaching course in Mexico, Mike was appointed National Coach. Hewley, however, was always in the background, a father figure sitting in the stands keeping a watchful eye. He was the coach for Georgetown. He was always a very disciplined man a demanded that everyone live up to his high standards.”

John Yates, the Miami Florida-based past president of the GABF said of Henry, who can be seen as a basketball purist; “One of the things I would always remember about him. He never made a fuss about things. There were a lot of people like Vaugh and others but, Hewley was a very disciplined person. he was a teacher, But, he was never a person to make/ fuss over a lot of things.”

St. Maarten based former Technical Director of the GABF and a past National player recalled: “It was my privilege to have been associated with Hewley. Learning from him about how to develop my skills, values and the ability to be successful. He was associated with Ron Pickering in his induction to the Guyana Defense Force along with Fabi Liverpool.”

Chin quipped: “He also caused the game to stop due to the dropping out of his contact lenses. His knowledge and leadership qualities earned him the right to lead Guyana’s teams both locally and internationally.”

Henry led teams on exchange tournaments held in Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Boa Vista, and Caracas, Venezuela in 1971 for Central and America and Caribbean (C AC) Championships and again in 1973, along with the late Raymond Goulding (Agard), co-coached in Puerto Rico at CAC Championships.

“He continued his basketball life coupled with his professional life as an educator in the teaching fraternity, then went on to become a Civil Engineer, and then subsequently migrating with his dear wife and children to the USA,” said Chin, who was also one of Guyana’s leading FIBA Referees.

Former National player and President of the GABF when Guyana won its only Caribbean Men’s Basketball Championship in Suriname in 2018, Nigel Hinds, opined: “Hewley Henry is a Guyanese basketball legend and will live on as an inspiration to all who knew him. Without a doubt, Hewley will one day be in Guyana’s Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and coach.”

David Patterson who replaced (Ret. Colonel) Godwin McPherson as president of the GABF remarked: “As a young basketball player with Eagles, I can recall several epic contests on Burnham Court against Ravens, the results were mixed, well, at least that the way I would like to remember those games, needless to say, a Ravens – Eagles match was a standing room only affair.

During my stint in the administration of the sport, Hewley Henry’s imprint on the Ravens Club was always evident. He was an excellent coach, mentor and father figure to dozens of young basketball players countrywide–and he shall truly be missed.”

 

 

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