Ramsharran, Benjamin W.

Benjamin W. Ramsharran, 87, of Hartford departed this life on Wednesday, (February 7, 2001) at home. He was born in Uttar Pradesh, India and grew up in British Guiana, South America after arriving there with his extended family at the age of five. He came to this country in 1952 with great hope as one of the pioneering Indian tobacco workers. Having earlier become a naturalized citizen, he graduated from Hartford High School in 1975. His varied work life included bulldozer operator for the Army Corps of Engineers, building Guyanese airbases for North African flights in World War II and was also a diamond miner, gold miner, foreman in a meat processing plant, a trained dental lab technician, worked at Swift's Gold Leafing, and for the last 13 years as a machinist at Colt Firearms, retiring in 1980. He became a dedicated member of the Bahai faith in 1967 serving the Hartford Local Spiritual Assembly as a member, and later as its treasurer for 11 years. On his second trip around the world, in 1986 he attended the dedication of the Bahai Temple in New Delhi, India and on a previous trip the Bahai Temple in Panama. A loving husband, sincere friend who helped others get their naturalization, learn to drive, get jobs and homes, he also believed strongly in trying to serve his community. He served on numerous boards of directors: as vice president of the Clay Hill Improvement Association, the Community Health Service, ONE-CHANE, Inc., a police advisory board, the Greater Hartford Flood Commission since his appointment by Governor O'Neill, the Greater Hartford United Nations Association, and the Connecticut Committee for Inter-Religious Understanding. He touched many lives with his thoughtful advise, off-beat humor, numerous stories, anecdotes and aphorisms. He was most at home in his garden and equally at home in life. His first trip around the world had been as an American Goodwill Ambassador and his was a long and good journey through life. In the Bahai writings, God's guidance is clear "I have made death a messenger of joy to thee. Wherefore dost thou grieve?" Besides his wife Sharon, of 25 years, he is survived by two brothers, Joseph Ramson of Guyana, Cyril and his wife Edith Persaud of East Hartford; a sister, Saraha Singh of Guyana; numerous nieces and nephews in particular a beloved niece, Indrani Malley of Canada. Funeral Services will be Monday, February 12, at 12 Noon at the D'Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Blvd., Wethersfield. Burial in Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford. Friends may call at the chapel on Monday, 10 a.m. until time of service.