Mumbai: An inveterate deskman, with an innate flair for editing and an eye for detail. That in a nutshell, was what the late Camilo Fernandes was. Possessing an eagle eye with a penchant for spotting the dramatic and grammatic error, this unflashy, down to earth sports scribe was a hands-on deskman who right from his fledgling years with the defunct The Independent, to his rather unremarkable career with the Free Press Journal and then in his later years with The Hindustan Times, this 53-years young senior editor, could always be relied on to bring out the gist of the story, from the grist that his fellow reporters would churn out day after day, or should it be night after night.
There was nothing he loved more, his matchless love for his beloved state of Goa and more than a tot of the amber and dark brown liquid, after putting a whole lot of sports pages to bed.
In his own quiet way and manner, he lived life to the fullest, replete as it was to its quirks and peccadilloes. Not one to covering an array of sports events, he was and will always be, for me and a whole lot of sports reporters, a super sub.
Without a fuss, he could be ever relied to edit with both a passion and flair, whatever was thrown at him. Here's wishing a grand farewell to a quietly effective deskman, who for sure, will be enjoying the after-life to the hilt, as he surely did his entire existence.
His mortal remains can be viewed outside the Lady of Dolours Church, Dhobitalao from 9.15 am onwards and thereafter he will be interred at the St Peters Cemetery, Haines Road, Mahalaxmi. RIP, my dear friend.
