Ivan “Dick” “Dickie” Baharally, a son of Jacklow Pomeroon River, Guyana, and a pillar of a large Guyanese-Canadian family, passed away in Calgary, Alberta, on April 24, 2020. He was 83. He was survived by his childhood sweetheart and devoted wife of sixty-five years, Gloria Baharally, with whom he built a life defined by loyalty, hard work, and family.
Born on February 1, 1937, in Jacklow, Pomeroon River, Ivan was the son of the late Lazarus Nathaniel Baharally of Jacklow and Anna Daisy Charles of Wakapoa. His early years were shaped by the close-knit riverine communities of Guyana, where family, faith, and neighbourly support formed the foundation of everyday life.
In 1970, he made the difficult decision to leave Guyana and immigrate to Calgary, Alberta, in search of greater opportunity. Two years later, in 1972, his wife and their five children joined him, reuniting the family and beginning a new chapter in Canada. Like many Guyanese migrants of his generation, Ivan’s journey was built on sacrifice and determination, with the goal of securing a better future for those he loved.
He worked hard, but it was his character that left the deepest impression. Ivan was known for his strength, his selflessness, and his willingness to help anyone in need. He was a social man who made friends wherever he went, whether among neighbours, co-workers, or members of the wider Guyanese community in Calgary. His pride was not in titles or possessions, but in the size and closeness of his family, which continued to grow around him.
Ivan is survived by his five children: Donna (Carl) Warner of Calgary; Ivan (Cheryl) Baharally of Calgary; Debbie (Robert) McPherson of Calgary; Norbert (Charlene) Baharally of Stettler; and Dawn Baharally (Dori Yee) of Calgary.
He also leaves behind nine grandchildren: Christina Gauson; Joshua (Heather) Baharally; Jennifer (Cameron) Lugg; Celina Baharally (Sean Boyden); Rebecca (Isaac) Obodo; Matthew McPherson; Mikayla (Jermaine) Kootenay; Alicia Baharally (Nicholas Crouse); and Nicholas Baharally.
His legacy continues through his ten great-grandchildren: Dante Kootenay; Claudio Baharally; Zachary Lugg; Lazarus Baharally; Katie Lugg; Gabriel Obodo; Carter Kootenay; Daniel Boyden; Theo Kootenay; and Gloria Obodo.
He is also survived by his brother-in-law Ivelaw (Hilda) Baddeir of Calgary; sister-in-law Yvonne Baddeir of Calgary; and his brother and sister-in-law Bert (Mona) Rampersaud of Calgary, along with numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.
Ivan Baharally’s life traced a path from the quiet banks of the Pomeroon to the wide streets of Calgary, but the values he carried never changed. He was a man who put family first, who helped others without seeking recognition, and who built a legacy measured not in wealth but in people.
For families like his, spread across continents but tied together by memory and heritage, his story is a familiar one. A young man leaves the river, crosses an ocean, works hard, raises children, and becomes the quiet center of a growing clan. That kind of life rarely makes headlines, but it is the backbone of every diaspora community that now calls Guyana home, no matter how far away it may be.
