The talented Mr D’Costa
Antonio Remedios D’Costa was
the son of Mr and Mrs Bernard D'Costa. He was born and grew up in Per
Seraulim/Colva, Salcete, Goa. As a young man, he came to Kenya with his
goals set on making a future in Nairobi. He married Clara Gracias,
daughter of Mr and Mrs J. F. L. Gracias, MBE. Mr Gracias was a prominent
member of the Goan community. He worked for the East African Railways
& Harbours (E.A.R.& H.) in Nairobi, Kenya, and was a founding member of
the Railway Goan Institute, Nairobi.
D'Costa and Clara had a happy life together for 57 years. They had
four children, Bernadette, Matilda, Joseph and Mariella. Clara was his most
vital source of inspiration and motivation in all that he set out to do.
D'Costa, in turn, supported Clara in her dressmaking as she had trained
seamstress. He loved cooking and came up with his recipes. He enjoyed
decorating Christmas cakes with designs their children gave him. Woodwork
was another one of D'Costa's hobbies. He made desks for the pre-school that
Clara had for 25 years.
Before he married Clara, D’Costa had already begun
a career in accounting with the E.A.R.& H. He worked in the Pensions
Department where he climbed the ladder through dedication to his work. In
the 1960s, the E.A.R.&H. launched its Kenyanisation program and D’Costa was
assigned to train the incoming Kenyans in the Pensions Department.
However, it was not long before the E.A.R. & H invited him back and worked in the Administration Department until 1976. D'Costa took an interest in the future of the long-serving employees who were retiring or would retire soon. He wrote to the Crown Agents in the United Kingdom on behalf of the expatriate employees regarding their pension status on retirement. He was invited by the Crown Agents to visit London to make a presentation on behalf of the E.A.R.& H. Administration. The London meeting was moved to Nairobi. He made a compelling and convincing presentation which was accepted by the Crown Agents. He was an inspiration to those employees when they left the service. With him, they knew they were in good hands.
He played a vital role in the various employee associations attached to the E.A.R.&H., namely, the Pensioners Association, the Widows & Orphans Fund, the Railway Asian Union, and the Railway Indian Institute.
As a member of the Railway Goan Institute, he served as vice president and on the Institute's management committee.
D'Costa offered his services to assist with the
running of the Dr Ribeiro Goan School in Nairobi and was elected a member of
the governing body, the Goan Overseas Association. It is of interest to
note that Clara was among the first students to attend the School. In later
years, three of their children attended the School. With that in mind,
D'Costa took on an added responsibility to serve on the School Board of the
Parents Association. He volunteered to train the Brass Band.
D'Costa as a noted violinist, having learned to play the violin at a very young age. He also taught himself to play the saxophone and joined the "Merry Melodists Dance Band" under the direction of J. F. Lobo. Later he joined the "Moonlight Serenaders" led by Xavier Noronha. These bands played at the Railway Goan Institute for the dances and other social events, and most often for weddings and other private occasions. Clara loved dancing.
D'Costa's love for music prompted him to conduct a
group of talented musicians and singers to perform on the "Konkanim
Program" broadcast on the Voice of Kenya Radio Station. He was associated
with a group of friends who were string instrument musicians. Among them
were Anthony Alvares, Anthony (Oboe) Noronha, Campos Ribeiro, Joe Gonsalves,
John Gracias, and the Pires brothers, to name a few. D'Costa also played
the accordion and the clarinet. He also tutored young Goans in playing
the violin. He taught his daughters to sing, play the piano and clarinet, and
his son the keyboard and drums. He wrote music, composing songs, and
translating to Konkanim, English songs that he loved to sing.
D'Costa took a prominent role at the St. Francis Xavier's Church, Parklands, Nairobi. For over 36 years, he conducted the Church choir which he appropriately named "St. Cecelia's Choir" in honour of the Patron Saint of Musicians. The choir, under D'Costa's direction, took part in a program broadcast on the Voice of Kenya. In his role as a choirmaster, D'Costa learned to play the church organ. He served on the Parish Council and various committees for events hosted by the Church. In recognition of his services to the Church, D'Costa was honoured by Pope Paul VI with the "Benemerenti Award and Medal".
In keeping with the Goan tradition, D'Costa was a member of the Colva Union in Nairobi. The highlight of the Colva Union was the annual celebration of the Feast of Menino Jesus.
He was always on hand to help the Nairobi Goan
Tailors Society and its members.
In 1976, the D’Costas and their youngest daughter, Mariella, emigrated to San Francisco, California, U.S.A. Their son, Joseph and his wife, Antoinette joined them in 1977. In 1984, they were joined by their younger daughter, Matilda, her husband Johnny and their three children. Their eldest daughter, Bernadette, had emigrated to Sydney, Australia in 1974. She came to visit the family for about two months every year, a trip that included a cruise with the family. D'Costa continued his career in accounting with the County of Alameda, Bay Area Community Services. He took a course in the U.S. tax laws and the intricate preparation of taxes and manually completed all the complicated tax forms. Clara worked for 15 years as an administrative assistant at The International Institute of the East Bay. D’Costa kept up with his musical talent and joined the choir at St. Lawrence O'Toole Catholic Church, Oakland and became a valued choir member. He became a member of the San Francisco Goan Institute and served on the Managing Council and as an Auditor.
Mr D'Costa, passed away on November 22, 1997, on the Feast of St. Cecelia. Clara passed away on November 9, 2019
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