Very sad news: our young friend, academician and Goanet member Sharon da Cruz passed away in Goa today, following a brief illness. Her funeral is in Siolim on Friday morning (11 am). She was in her 30s... not an age for someone with much promise to move on. Sharon completed her PhD quite early on in her career, on the Franciscans in Goa, at the Goa University's history department in 2003. She took her work seriously, and had been published even in the prestigious Economic and Political Weekly some time back. She taught at the Cuncolim (CES) college. The last time we met was at Dr Carmo's seminar on the Portuguese language in Goa. Despite her academic achievements, she was humility personified and an extremely helpful person. My mobile phone carries SMSs from her, offering useful suggestions on the kind of books that students in Goa do need and could use. Not only were these suggestions, but she was volunteering to work on it herself! She always had a good word for other people's work, and had her own quiet way of encouraging others. We will miss Dr Sharon. Maybe there could be some way to pay tribute to her memory. --FN
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sharon Jacqueline D'Cruz, historian and young academician By Miguel Braganza braganza.mig...@gmail.com Dr. Sharon D'Cruz e de Souza died on Thursday, July 25, 2013, a week after she was detected to have a tumour in the brain. Her funeral cortege will leave their home at Maina-Siolim for Eucharistic celebration at Mary, Consolation of the Persecuted Church, in Tropa, Sodiem-Siolim, Goa, on Friday at 11 A.M. followed by burial. For those unfamiliar with the location of the Tropa Church, it is off the main road from Cunchelim Church to Holy Cross Convent High School, Sodiem and immediately beyond the controversial "Five Pillars Church". Their residence is about two km beyond the church on the road that links to Teen Maddani stop, Camurlim. Those coming in from the Panjim/Porvorim side, can drive up the NH-17 bypass road from Green Park hotel to the Tivim Industrial Estate gate on the Colavalae road and then take the first left turn after the first petrol pump at Gottnnicho Vall. The road leads straight to the Cunchelim Church [rear side], Go straight along the main road. It twists and turns, but do not leave it till you reach the Five Pillars Church on the right side. Then turn right into the narrow lane to the church. It was on Friday last, 19 July, 2013, that she was found unconscious in bed by her husband, Joseph Frank de Souza. She was rushed to Wockhardt Hospital, Cuncolim (formerly the NUSI Hospital and later the Apollo-NUSI Hospital), where her medical history of vomiting the previous night and unconsciousness in the morning was presumed to be indicative of poisoning, until better sense prevailed and a brain issue was considered. It was advised that she be rushed to Goa Medical College, Bambolim, for appropriate treatment. This in an era when many people are under the misconception that the "private" hospitals have better facilities and "specialist" doctors. Dr. Sharon was by no means a poor person who could not afford specialist care in a private hospital ... if it was available in Goa. It was not. She was operated at the GMC on the same day. the prognosis was bad. There was a long delay between the time she became unconscious at home and her admission in GMC via the private hospital. Even before she was wheeled into the Operation Theatre (OT), her chances of recovery were stated to be 1%. The odds were stacked 99% against her. We prayed and hoped for a miracle. It did not happen the way we thought it could be. From being in a coma for six days, her life came to a full stop this morning (Thursday in Goa). Sharon was passionate about history ... and about it being told the way it happened. She worked hard on the research for the book *Triumph of Secularism: Battle of the Opinion Poll in Goa*, which she co-authored with Rajan Narayan. What went into print is not exactly what she would have liked it to be... but it is closer to the truth than what has been dished out before that. Sharaon was an active faculty member of Cuncolim Education Society's College of Arts & Commerce, Cuncolim, Salcete-Goa, and was the Chairperson/Convenor of the Students' Council and Projects Committee among others. She was associated with the Xavier Center for Historical Research, Porvorim, and was to be a part of the upcoming Bailancho Saad seminar besides co-authoring a paper on migration of Bardezkars to Belgaum with Dr. Savio Abreu SJ, Director of XCHR. Her passing into history comes as a shock and most who called have expressed their disbelief that she could leave us all so suddenly. The good book tells us "Death will come like a thief ...." and it has now stolen Sharon from amongst us. May her soul rest in peace and may God give courage to her husband, Joseph Frank de Souza, her parents and siblings and her in-laws. ###