Hukumdath (“Basil”) Sookdeo,
Son of Seetal and Alice Sookdeo, passed away at the age of 78 on September 16, 2020 after a long, private battle with Parkinson's Disease in the east end of the City of Toronto, Ontario. His family and his friends mourn the loss of this great, inspirational man.
He was born on November 10, 1941 in Uitvlugt Estate, Guyana. His family moved shortly after to Canal No. 1, West Bank, Demerara River. This is where he met and married his beautiful wife and life partner, Bedowtie Sookdeo. They had two children, Malini (Daughter) and Krishna (Son) Sookdeo.
Coming from humble beginnings, Basil moved his wife and children at the age of 33 to Canada to begin a new life in the fall of 1974. They landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia and shortly after moved to Toronto, Ontario. He worked multiple jobs to provide for his family, before he found a permanent position at Kendall as an industrial machine operator. He worked there for approximately 30 years before retiring early to enjoy the remaining part of his life and spend time with his family.
He was a man that was honest, sincere, noble, and reliable who handled himself with integrity. He had a strong sense of duty and his word was his bond.
He was always open to learning new things and he would teach anyone who wanted to learn what he knew. He loved to work with his hands, but his mind was sharp and always focused on his goals.
Basil was never a person to shy away from the experiences of life. Instead he would courageously meet life's challenges head-on, where he would continue his life-long quest to be better than he was yesterday. He always said that people can “change”. People can bury the past behind and move forward in life to grow.
He was a terrific cook, loved to listen to various genres of music and traveled the world...but he always fond of Guyana. He found satisfaction in Body Building and enjoyed the company of family and friends who were like-minded. Basil was the kind of person that would be ready to help anyone who needed help at a moments notice. He often spent hours helping to renovate homes, repair vehicles, or simply pick up or drop off a loved one at the airport. He would make time to celebrate life, not death and dwell in the present, not the past, while keeping and eye on the future.
As a Husband, Father and Grandfather, he was a kind, loving and a gentle soul. He cherished his wife, two children, and five grandchildren (Santol, Zaiden, Tahlin, Oryan and Rhea). He was always very generous and showered them with all the luxuries life. He led by example and acted as a guiding light to help lead the family to be successful in life on personal and professional levels.
Hukumdath Sookdeo will be forever remembered, loved and cherished in the lives and hearts of his family and friends.
Based on Basil's personal wishes, a private gathering will be held on Thursday, September 24, 2020. To celebrate his life the family asks that all donations go to Parkinson's Canada on behalf of his family.