Family bids emotional farewell to MV Barima victim Shawn John

The laughter they shared, the long drives after he returned from sea, and the simple phone calls to say, “Sis, I am around the bend, I’m coming for you,” are now cherished memories for Roxanna Giddings as she mourns the loss of her brother, Shawn John. On Friday, relatives, friends and well-wishers gathered at Memorial Gardens Funeral Home in Georgetown to bid a final farewell to 40-year-old Shirley Field resident, Shawn John. John was aboard the MV Barima when it sank off Guyana’s coast six days ago. He was remembered as a caring, loving and hardworking man who always put his family first. Those who knew him spoke of a man whose presence lit up every gathering and whose kindness left a lasting impression on everyone he met. For his sister, however, he was simply her “liming buddy.” “We had a wonderful relationship, no problem,” Giddings recalled, describing a bond built on love, laughter and countless memories. John had worked as a boat captain for years before leaving the profession about seven years ago. According to Giddings, whenever he returned from working at sea, she knew exactly what to expect. “Every time he get off sea he would always call and say, ‘Sis, I am around the bend. I am coming for you.’ He would normally come pick me up, take me all over to hang and have fun, and we always would do it whenever he got off the boat.” Before leaving for Port Kaituma, John called his sister last Friday to let her know he would be back soon. “We talk Friday and he said that he was going to get this thing, but he said that he coming right back with the boat because when he go and spend long, he does miss we a lot. I said, ‘Okay, you would be back in a couple days.’ He said, ‘Yes, sis.'” The following morning, before beginning the journey, John made one last stop to see his sister. That visit would become one of her most treasured memories. “I thought he was safe, but the next morning we get the sad news that the North West boat sink,” she said. Struggling to put her grief into words, Giddings said the pain of losing her brother is immeasurable. “Words can’t explain. He was loved by everyone who knew him.” Though her “liming buddy” is gone, Giddings says the memories they created together- the conversations, the road trips and the moments of laughter- will remain with her forever.