The Americans celebrated their 226th Anniversary of Independence on July 4, 2002. For Scholasticus Pyke and Sylvia (nee Araujo) it was the 60th Anniversary of their marriage, at which Father Keenan officiated at St Francis Roman Catholic Church in Belmont. The couple had known each other from school days. Schol had been in the Higher Certificate Class at St Mary's College with Sylvia's brother Harold. "We studied together" said Schol "and I met her then so this thing going on for a long while because my last year in College was 1933."
The Pykes have six children, Billy, Ian, Dawn, Sandra, Alison and Dominic, and ten grandchildren, one of whom, says a very proud grandfather is "Dr Kathy Ann Pyke, a vet at the NorthWest Veterinary Clinic, and another Donna Comissiong is on a Fulbright Scholarship at Northwestern University in Illinois studying Applied Mathematics." Ten years ago the Pykes celebrated their golden anniversary in great style with Holy Mass, a reception and the presentation of two illuminated scrolls conveying the Papal Blessing from His Holiness John Paul 1. The celebration, however, for this milestone sixtieth was very low-keyed as Sylvia has for the past five years suffered from Alzheimer's Disease. "The children insisted" says Schol "so it was just a gathering of three of the children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews" at the family home on Mucurapo Road.
Now 88 years of age, Schol worked in the government service until taking early retirement at age 57 from the post of Senior Supervisor in the Inland Revenue Department where he had been posted for the last twenty years of his service. He then became a tax consultant with various Accounting firms. Whereas Sylvia, who is 87 years old, worked with Hardware Electric, the Guardian and H.E. Robinson up to the birth of the second of their six children, after which she became a housewife.
The Pykes have shared in a very quiet, family life, mainly enjoying family vacations at La Nourice Estate in Toco where Schol was born. But the one sport to which Schol remains devoted, is hunting. "I have been secretary/treasurer of the Hunters Association from the date of its inception in April 1949, that is about the only pastime. But I only love deer hunting which we hunt mainly near to the villages and estates, not agouti and lappe which are hunted in forest reserves. I never went in for forest hunting."
Schol also loves duck hunting which nearly cost him his life in 1961. He still will not speak of the details except to say that "we ran into the aftermath of hurricane Hattie during a duckhunting expedition in the Gulf of Paria outside the Blue River." He still hunts deer but has to remain most of the time in the van listening to the dogs "because I cannot follow them like before."
"We have enjoyed a very happy life" says Schol "just that my wife's recent illness pains me, now that she is immobile and unable to talk coherently."
Yet Schol understands when his Sylvia says "I don't know, yes, no, why and what."