Chandroowattie Harilal

Chandroowattie Shelia Harilal was born at 56 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, Guyana on June 19, 1941, to Sanpattie and Heckland Seerattan. She was the youngest of nine children. She was married to Arjoon Harilal, who died on February 7, 2020, a union of over 63 years. Shelia Harilal was the mother of six children, the late Paulo, Dorothy, Barbara, Shelly, Prom, and Terry. She was the grandmother of 14 grandchildren: Randy, Danny, Davie Ann, Kevin, Melissa, Terrence, Perry, Michael, Breanna, Kris, Alexander, Jordan, Matthew and Cordelia and great-grandmother to five great-grandchildren: Samaya, Amelia, Adara, Asher, Anabelle. She was the mother-in-law to Ellen, Selene and Carmen and two sons-in-law Rohan and Chandi. Shelia Harilal had loss her mother at the age of 4 and her father at the age of 14. She was married at age 16 and by the time she was 24 years old, she already had six children. Our mother was an exceptionally, extraordinary, remarkable individual, who was a soft- spoken, introspective, intellectual lady, who could be described more as a Gentle Giant. She was determined to tackle life with a passion, but in a quiet, almost unspoken manner. Her tender- hearted, reserved style only added to the mystical charm she exudes. She believed the action transcended an individual and lived according to that philosophy. Shelia Harilal left her six children behind to join our father in the United States in 1970. Life in the United States had presented its own set of challenges. Our mother had battled immigration, living in constant fright that she would return home as had some of her friends and co-workers. Despite experiencing numerous difficulties and challenges in her life, our Mother truly was a woman who had triumphant over adversities. In 1974, Shelia Harilal brought her children to the United States. She had worked alongside our father in the tailoring business in the early years of their marriage. In the US, she obtained stable employment in the clothing industries, where she worked until her retirement. She had to abandon her dreams of obtaining an education and pursuit of a professional career to provide for her family. Despite her lack of academic success, Chandroowattie Harilal had demonstrated a resilient nature in tackling many challenges. She was a self-taught woman who was an explorer, adventurer, philosopher, teacher, writer and a loving mother. She battled all the difficulties in her path with grace and dignity and prevailed to be a trailblazer. In Loving Memory Of Our Beloved Mother, Grandmother, Great-grandmother

Chandroowattie Harilal

June 19, 1941 - July 25, 2022