DAAS co-founder passes on

Raglan Riviere
Riviere was the first trained administrator of the PMH

Co-founder of the Dominica Academy of Arts and Sciences (DAAS) and former civil servant, Raglan Riviere, has passed.

He passed away on July 6th in Canada after a long battle with Cancer.

Riviere was the son of Leonce Alexander Riviere and Uella Riviere and was born on September 1st, 1935 in Massacre. He had five siblings.

He attended the Dominica Grammar School (DGS) from 1948 to 1955.

At DGS he became the captain of Dawbiney House, Company Sergeant Major (CSM) of the Cadet Corp, a school prefect and secretary of the school debating society. He said that position had instilled pride and patriotism in him.

Riviere then migrated to the United Kingdom (UK) to join the British Royal Air Force (RAF) with the ultimate goal of furthering his education.

Riviere spent five years, from 1959 to 1964, in the RAF and served at the Central Medical Establishment, London and overseas at RAF Pergamos, Cyprus, Near East Air Force as a Senior Aircraftman.

Following his discharge from the RAF, he attended the Regent Street Polytechnic, part-time, and obtained an Honours degree in Sociology (B.Sc. Soc) from the London University.

While studying he worked full-time with the Ministry of Housing and Local Government in Whitehall up to 1968 as a social researcher, when he was recruited back home by the Dominica Civil Service as an Administrative Cadet.

In 1970 he was promoted to Hospital Administrator designate at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) and later awarded a World Health Organisation fellowship to study Health and Hospital Administration at University of Ottawa, Canada, where he graduated with a master’s degree (MHA) and became the first trained Hospital Administrator at the PMH in 1972.

He resigned from the Civil Service in 1978 because of political interference in his administration of the PMH and migrated to Canada.

In Canada, Riviere joined the Civil Service as a Correctional Officer with the Ontario Correctional Institute dealing with the rehabilitation of criminal offenders and retired in June 1998.

After retirement he gave attention to Creative Writing and has published three novels : Rum Punch and Prejudice (1998), Born Too Late (2005) and Colonial Deception – Book One (2005).

He was instrumental in forming the DAAS.

Co-founder of DAAS, Attorney, Gabriel Christian, described Riviere as dutiful, patriotic and a no-nonsense guy.

Riviere is survived by his wife Grenada-born Ruby Denise, nee MacIntosh, and two children, Jacqueline and Emile.

Copyright 2012 Dominica News Online, DURAVISION INC. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.

We will delete comments that:

  • contain any material which violates or infringes the rights of any person, are defamatory or harassing or are purely ad hominem attacks
  • a reasonable person would consider abusive or profane
  • contain material which violates or encourages others to violate any applicable law
  • promote prejudice or prejudicial hatred of any kind
  • refer to people arrested or charged with a crime as though they had been found guilty
  • contain links to "chain letters", pornographic or obscene movies or graphic images
  • are off-topic and/or excessively long

See our full comment/user policy/agreement.

17 Comments

  1. Sharing in his family's grief
    July 10, 2015

    Does Jesus Care

    Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
    Too deeply for mirth or song,
    As the burdens press, and the cares distress,
    And the way grows weary and long?

    Refrain:
    Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
    His heart is touched with my grief;
    When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
    I know my Savior cares.

  2. Sharing in his family's grief
    July 10, 2015

    Does Jesus care when my way is dark
    With a nameless dread and fear?
    As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
    Does He care enough to be near?

    Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
    To resist some temptation strong;
    When for my deep grief there is no relief,
    Though my tears flow all the night long?

    Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”
    To the dearest on earth to me,
    And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks—
    Is it aught to Him? Does He see?

  3. July 10, 2015

    May his soul and the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. My sympathy to his family and friends.

  4. Friend of Justice
    July 9, 2015

    We salute Raglan Riviere, those of us who honor leadership in the service of national development not personal aggrandisement. Here was a soft spoken gentleman who gave much in service as a cadet, social worker and hospital administrator. When most folks at retirement would idle their days away by the beach, nursing a cold drink or playing bingo he joined with people like Clayton Shillingford, Thomson Fontaine, Doctor Christian, Judge Andre, Ras Moses, and the early founders of DAAS to make an additional contribution on top of what he gave in his early days as a DGS cadet. As DAAS Co founder Dr. Gabriel Christian said, he was a patriotic, no nonsense guy. He deserves our thanks. Diablo and those like him should not ask what of DAAS? He should ask instead: what can I do to follow Rags excellent example in founding DAAS and heloping build the country. May the angels carry him to his rest as we express our condolences to the family.

  5. Clayton Shillingford
    July 9, 2015

    Raglan was a man of many talents..We shared time in the same science classes at the Dominica Grammar School. He was a great athlete and we competed at the the DGS Annual Sports Day at the Windsor Park..He even sang at the Matinee Talent Shows at the old Carib Cinema..We rejoined our forces for national service when the Dominica Academy of Arts &Sciences (DAAS) was founded in 2000 and Raglan proposed me as the first President ..He spent many hours as webmaster over these years maintaining the DAAS website

    I give honour and praise to one of my best friends for a life of graciousness, kindness and deep patriotic sentiment

    My profound condolences to his wife Denise and their families and also to the entire Riviere family

    May his soul rest in peace

  6. Sharing in his family's grief
    July 9, 2015

    It is fitting to say a prayer for him.

    Prayer for the Beloved Departed – Raglan Riviere

    Raglan is departed, Lord, after having loved You; a sinner who had asked You for pardon. We can help him to get back to Your presence soon. We implore you in prayer for him. Of ourselves we have but little to offer for him, but in Christ we have the infinity of His merits. Accept them as a deduction from his debt.

    Lord, we offer our prayers for those who gave us life, for those who fed us, taught us, cared for us, for those who opened Your way of love to us.

  7. Sharing in his family's grief
    July 9, 2015

    We offer You our prayers for all those to whom we did good, and for those whom we may have afflicted.

    Enter Raglan, Lord, into Your place of rest, into that peace and joy without end, which You have prepared for him from all eternity.
    May Raglan enter into Your infinite glory. Amen!

    Eternal rest grant unto Raglan, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen!

    May the soul of Raglan and the souls of other faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen!

  8. believer
    July 9, 2015

    So sorry to hear of his death.
    What i remember most about him was his humor.
    In any conversation with him, he would find something to laugh about. Somehow you
    left the conversation feeling better than when you started it. Nice man.

  9. diablo
    July 9, 2015

    After Raglan Riviere what is left of the DAAS? Who is left of the DAAS?

  10. Jaime Lewis
    July 8, 2015

    May his soul rest in peace.

  11. The Real Facts
    July 8, 2015

    I heard he was not well. Saddened to hear of his passing. God has relieved him of his earthly discomfort and suffering.
    What I do know of him he was always a nice person as his other siblings. Very nice people. I hope to attend his Funeral Service.
    My sincere sympathy to all members of the Riviere family and other family members.
    Eternal rest grant unto Raglan, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul rest in God’s glory and peace. Amen!
    May the soul of Raglan and other souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen!

  12. DFR
    July 8, 2015

    Very progressive as evidenced by his many roles he performed during his in life on earth. Also having the time to write three books . We could use such a drive .

  13. July 8, 2015

    R.I.P. comrade. R.i.P. Thanks for your service, gone but not forgotton. Hopefully you yoeman service to country, might land you in our minds for ever, in my opinion if not the Entire proposed New Hospital, at least a winf, or cetain section of that Hospital should be named in your Honor. Your impressive body of work and service leave no doubt in my mind that you deserve it.

  14. nacinimod
    July 8, 2015

    Never met him but from all accounts he was an exceptionalDominica. May his departed soul rest in peace.

  15. Marguerite
    July 8, 2015

    RIP Mr. Riviere.

  16. Nadia
    July 8, 2015

    Rest in peace Uncle Raglan.

  17. Shameless
    July 8, 2015

    RIP son of the soil.

    Assertive, NOT Aggressive! :(

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

:) :-D :wink: :( 8-O :lol: :-| :cry: 8) :-? :-P :-x :?: :oops: :twisted: :mrgreen: more »

 characters available