Residents paid rich tributes to late Dr George Julius Williams, a very versatile and multifaceted persona who died recently.
Dr Williams arrived in Qatar in June 1978 and was part of Gulf Times in various capacities for a long time. He is survived by his wife and two daughters and three grandchildren.
“Julius was a fine humanitarian. His untimely passing is indeed an irreparable loss to his family and friends like me. Over the years, he has shown himself to be an extraordinary gentleman, a hardcore professional who earned his respect in journalism and personally, I valued his friendship,” Doha Bank CEO Dr Seetharaman said.
“He was a dear friend since the day he landed in Doha. Not just to me personally, but all staff of our office have good memories of him as he was a very pleasant person, always smiling and a good family man,” said A K Usman, managing director, Al Muftah Rent-A-Car.
Besides Gulf Times, Williams also worked with other establishments such as Qatar Director’s HSSE magazine, Qatar Media City, Primedia, Icon Media and Qatar Day.
‘Long time PTA member of MES Indian School, Williams was a very responsible parent who would attend every parent teacher meeting. He was a very caring and loving father to his children. He had an excellent rapport with all staff of our school,” recollected Hameeda Kadar, principal, MES Indian School.
Williams was also very passionate about theatre and acting. Before coming to Qatar, he was involved with the Prithvi Theatre Mumbai. He carried on this passion for theatre, by directing and acting in several productions at the Doha Players since 1980. He was also involved with the Doha Tribecca Film Festival.
“I met Williams during our production of 'Mughal-e-Azam' grand musical play. Since then, I knew he was an acclaimed actor. He embodied the values of a trailblazing journalist and actor. He was a bon vivant, a raconteur and a pleasure to spend time with,” recalled, Dr Tejendar Singh, founder of BPO+ and Qatar Day.
Williams acted in several roles in various short films and cinema over the years with major production houses such as Doha Film Institute, Warner Brothers, Balaji Telefilms, Katara Studios, Qatar Museum Authority, North Western University in Qatar. Some movies he has acted in have been nominated for the Oscars Academy Award for Students and at the Cannes Film Festival in the short film category.
“Every time I saw Julius around town, or on a film shoot, it was always such a positive, friendly, fun time. There are very few people in the world who just radiate so much positive energy and enthusiasm. Always passionate about life and art. He was, and is, a unique and wonderful gift,” pointed, Benito Robinsoni, producer, Doha Film Institute.
“Williams has silently closed the door of life and departed from us. I have known him for over a decade and in all this time I have known him to be a gentle soul. He was a devoted husband to his wife, a loving father to his children and a good friend and colleague to the people who knew him,” said Felix Lobo, Mangalore Community Association.
Williams was also actively involved with many Indian Associations affiliated under ICC such as the Mangalorean Cricket Club, Maharashtra Mandal, Goan Overseas Association . He has compered several of their events as well as the Indian Independence and Republic Day celebrations. Besides, he has conducted workshops at Kalabhavan and has been a member of Qatar Toastmasters.
“ We miss in our hearts forever a great friend, a brilliant journalist, actor and a socio-cultural event lover. I admire the warm, funny and genuine person he was.It is a great loss for the Goan and Mangalorean Community. May the Almighty God bless his soul and grant him eternal peace,” added Simon D’Silva, president, Goan Welfare Association, Qatar.
 
 
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