Boardwalk Goodwill Ambassador Narine Majaraj remembered for his friendliness, inspirational words

Anyone who walked on the Beach Boardwalk in the morning will have at some point encountered Narine Majaraj.

From his home on Corly, Narine would walk down Woodbine greeting everyone along the way. Then he would do his daily walk on the Boardwalk stopping to say good morning to everyone he saw.

He was always cheerful, happy, friendly, and outgoing. Over time, many people knew him by sight but no one really knew his name.

Ten years ago, a local photographer took his picture and posted it on the local Beach Facebook site so that people could put a name to his face. The response to the post generated a huge outpouring of affection.  Seemingly everyone knew him and had only kind words to say.

As a result, a group of neighbours decided to honour him by giving him the title of honourary Boardwalk Goodwill Ambassador. A plaque was presented to him at a small ceremony in front of the Leuty Lifeguard Station.

Narine continued to live up to his title for the next 10 years. Time did not slow him down.

Sadly, on April 23, Narine passed away of a heart attack.

A post on Facebook announced his passing. Again, the outpouring of affection was overwhelming. Many people shared their interactions with him over the years.

He was described as “a beacon of light and kindness”.

Most of all, he was remembered for his joyful banter, inspirational words, and his warm smile.

“Oh, happy day” was one of his favourite expressions.

Narine had an incredible impact on the Beach community simply by being friendly and kind. He will be missed by many.