Hundreds mourn Vincentian
calypso, soccer icon Basil Cato
By Nelson A. King
Hundreds of Vincentian and
other Caribbean nationals in
New York on Saturday evening
paid their final respects to
former Vincentian calypso and
soccer icon, Basil “Bung” Cato,
who died in Brooklyn on Feb. 4.
He was 77.
Mourners at the funeral
service — which spanned over
two hours, at Caribe Funeral
Home, on Utica Avenue in
Brooklyn — paid glowing tributes
to Cato, an erstwhile president
of the St. Vincent and the
Grenadines Calypsonians Association
and the St. Vincent and
the Grenadines Football (Soccer)
Association.
Among those paying tributes
were members of the calypso
and soccer fraternities, as
well as former members of the
Bridge Boys, a socially-interactive
group that gathered “on
the bridge on lower Back Street
(in Kingstown, the Vincentian
capital) early evenings to lime,
chat, and exchange ideas and
views about practically everything
under the sun,” according
to the obituary.
“We’re here to lift up, to
strengthen and to comfort his
children and grand-children,”
said Deacon Earl Cato, “Bung”
Cato’s young brother, who flew
in for the funeral service from
Florida, where he currently
resides. “’Bung’ had an extended
family.
“This evening is a time to
remember ‘Bung,’” added Deacon
Caribbean Life, F 18 ebruary 18-24, 2022
Cato, a former president
of the Brooklyn-based Vincentian
cultural and educational
group, Club St. Vincent, Inc.,
who conducted the service.
“’Bung’ was the type of person
you would come to when you
needed an opinion.”
Zulema George, whose
father, Frankie George, was a
member of the Bridge Boys,
said: “Before I could lay eyes
on Uncle Bung, I knew who
he was.
“Dad and Uncle Bung were
friends since they were seven
years old,” said George, Cato’s
goddaughter. “The stories he
would tell — his smile and
laughs were his greatest feature.
It was laugh filled with
love, life.
“Tonight, I stand before men
and God for bringing that special
spice in our home,” she
added.
Bernard Hewitt, another
member of the Bridge Boys,
said the group “discussed everything
— from sports, politics.
“Basil had a large and expansive
The Cato vamily in front seat at Caribe Funeral Home on
Utica Avenue, Brooklyn. Photo by Nelson A. King
personality,” he added. “He
was also a serious thinker. We
played football for Eagles Club.
He also played carnival in many
of the Bridge Boys’ productions.
Basil made Bridge Boys a
good organization.”
Hewitt also read a tribute
from Raymond England, a
former Bridge Boy, who currently
resides in Toronto, Canada.
“There was never a dull
moment when ‘Bung’ was
around,” England wrote. “We
were always supportive of each
other and other families.”
Rudolph “Rudy” Boucher, a
former national soccer captain,
said Cato was his good friend.
“I’ll always remember him,”
said Boucher, noting that Cato
was a leading official in soccer
in St. Vincent and the
Grenadines in 1979, when the
national team made nationals
proud by its outstanding
performance in the Caribbean
Football Union (CFU) championship.
“That 1979 team I can never
forget,” he continued, adding:
“He (Cato) will encourage you
to do things right.”
Vincentian Basil “Bung”
Cato. Aisha Cato
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