Obituary for Syble Gwendolyn Douglas (Kranenburg)
Douglas, Syble G. (nee Kranenburg)
Syble G. Douglas left us peacefully on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at Providence Health Care in Toronto at the age of 94.
She was a vibrant, warm, charismatic, stylish woman with a wonderful laugh. Her wit, joie de vivre, sophistication and elegance will be dearly missed by family, friends and all who knew her.
Syble cherished her beloved husband Ivan (predeceased), her four children - Melina, Allister, Jonathan and Ulita (predeceased), five grandchildren and three great grandchildren. She so enjoyed being GG to her great grandchildren.
With the soul of a poet and the heart and eyes of an artist, her passion for self-expression never dimmed.
In Syble's remarkable life, she was a proud Guyanese (a mud-head through and through), a journalist, teacher, published poet, visual artist, storyteller and a faithful devotee of the Baha’i religion for 48 years. Her capacity for learning through life experience, renewal and reinvention was inspiring.
Syble was an outstanding contributor to the Arts in Guyana, the community is diminished by her passing.
One of the first women to join E.R. Burrowes’s pioneering art classes in 1948, Syble went on to become an accomplished artist with one of her pieces in the National Collection of Guyana. She was a key part of the pre-independence Guyanese art movement. She initiated the founding of the Malcara Gallery in 1969, the first venue where the work of Guyanese artists was not only framed but displayed and sold. In addition, she was an Art teacher, started the “Art Circle” and was involved in the precursor of the “Guyana Women Artists Association”.
Syble was one of the first female journalists, with her own column ‘Just between us’ and edited the Woman’s Page and the social columns at the now-defunct "Daily Argosy" newspaper.
A prolific poet, Syble published four volumes: Fulfilment (1967), Guyana Drums (1972), Random Harvest (1986), and Transition: Poems Old and New (2008). Her poems ranged from deeply personal to nationalistic, to the nature of art.
A Celebration of Life will be held in Toronto at a future date.
Donations may be made in Syble’s memory to Operation Smile Canada or in the USA to PBS (Public Broadcasting Service).
Any Baha’i friends who wish to do so, may make a contribution to the National Fund in Syble’s name.
A tree will be planted in memory of Syble in the Dods & McNair Memorial Forest at the Island Lake Conservation Area, Orangeville. The next annual dedication service will be held on Sunday, September 12, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.dodsandmcnair.com
Syble G. Douglas left us peacefully on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at Providence Health Care in Toronto at the age of 94.
She was a vibrant, warm, charismatic, stylish woman with a wonderful laugh. Her wit, joie de vivre, sophistication and elegance will be dearly missed by family, friends and all who knew her.
Syble cherished her beloved husband Ivan (predeceased), her four children - Melina, Allister, Jonathan and Ulita (predeceased), five grandchildren and three great grandchildren. She so enjoyed being GG to her great grandchildren.
With the soul of a poet and the heart and eyes of an artist, her passion for self-expression never dimmed.
In Syble's remarkable life, she was a proud Guyanese (a mud-head through and through), a journalist, teacher, published poet, visual artist, storyteller and a faithful devotee of the Baha’i religion for 48 years. Her capacity for learning through life experience, renewal and reinvention was inspiring.
Syble was an outstanding contributor to the Arts in Guyana, the community is diminished by her passing.
One of the first women to join E.R. Burrowes’s pioneering art classes in 1948, Syble went on to become an accomplished artist with one of her pieces in the National Collection of Guyana. She was a key part of the pre-independence Guyanese art movement. She initiated the founding of the Malcara Gallery in 1969, the first venue where the work of Guyanese artists was not only framed but displayed and sold. In addition, she was an Art teacher, started the “Art Circle” and was involved in the precursor of the “Guyana Women Artists Association”.
Syble was one of the first female journalists, with her own column ‘Just between us’ and edited the Woman’s Page and the social columns at the now-defunct "Daily Argosy" newspaper.
A prolific poet, Syble published four volumes: Fulfilment (1967), Guyana Drums (1972), Random Harvest (1986), and Transition: Poems Old and New (2008). Her poems ranged from deeply personal to nationalistic, to the nature of art.
A Celebration of Life will be held in Toronto at a future date.
Donations may be made in Syble’s memory to Operation Smile Canada or in the USA to PBS (Public Broadcasting Service).
Any Baha’i friends who wish to do so, may make a contribution to the National Fund in Syble’s name.
A tree will be planted in memory of Syble in the Dods & McNair Memorial Forest at the Island Lake Conservation Area, Orangeville. The next annual dedication service will be held on Sunday, September 12, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.dodsandmcnair.com