Moses NORBERT

Moses Norbert, commonly called Papa Moses or Pa Moi, was born on the 18^th of November 1935, in Micoud, St Lucia, His parents were Jerris and Sonnicia Descarts-Norbert and was one out of fifteen children. As a young 25-year-old man, Moses left St. Lucia as among one of the many Caribbeans that where been recruited in the islands for the prospect of work in the UK.  According to Moses he reluctantly took up the offer and made the rough seas on the journey to the UK in 1960. For Moses this was a long Journey as he became very ill onboard the ship with sea sickness. Upon his arrival in the UK, he took up several jobs, in the construction trade as a plasterer, carpenter, and brick layer. One of his proud achievements was that he had work on one of the several reconstructions of the Blackwall tunnel in the 60’s. He also did some factory work where he worked at Fray Bentos on the production line producing their famous steak and kidney pie. Moses was very fond of shopping and became a well known person to the vendors at Ridley Road market otherwise known as Dalston Market in Hackney where he made often frequent trips almost daily, fulfilling his passion and indulged himself in food shopping for his love for cooking. He then coined the phrase calling himself the Chief of Dalston as he can remotely direct someone in detail of the market and was always happy to take family or friends as a to go place in Hackney. He is certainly missed for some of his favourite dishes such as Farine (Gari) with avocado and salt fish, Cow foot and tripe vegetable pepper soup and fried chili sardine fish. He was also a keen gardener, a man always smartly well dress with a sense of fashion, he loves socializing always up for a chinwag would stop and talk to anyone and engage in a conversation, was a good dancer always loves a bougie. Moses enjoys watching the TV in his later years and his favourite programmes were Songs of praise, The chase, Tipping point and documentary programmes of which he will take up argument with himself or the TV one never understood. He loved his family and kept in contact with those of his siblings in St. Lucia and travel back home on several occasion to see the rest of the family, He was very saddening by the loss of two of his sisters in the UK who past in 2020 and 2021. Moses always speaks of his grandmother Margarite of whom he believes is heritage of Senegal in Africa and has since develop his love and passion to visit Africa, a place which he always refers to or called his African ancestor. He did watch a documentary programme on the TV which traces St. Lucians ancestral heritage from Senegal in Africa. This then gave Moses the desire to visit Africa, of which he did twice, visiting Sierra Leone west of Africa and did some charitable giving. Moses was a very cheerful and loving man, one of his favourites saying “I MOSES’ IT WAS ME GOD GAVE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS” Moses lived a long and happy life and was loved by many, he spent close to 62 years of those in the UK, living in London within the North London Borough of Harringay and the East London Borough of Hackney where in departed to blessed memory. He is survived by family and friends leaving behind, his daughter Andrulla, brothers John and Antoine in St. Lucia, and sisters Melita, Janet and Philomene, several nephews and nieces which include Didi, Prudent, Elizabeth and Chris, with several grandchildren and those in St. Lucia, USA, and UK.