Terbenie Ghooray

The Life and Legacy of Terbenie Ghooray

Terbenie Ghooray, also known as Richard, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on April 11, 2026. Terbenie was a man of profound faith, unwavering discipline, and boundless devotion to his family. He was a record-breaker within his lineage, living a long, full life of 89 years, 2 months, and 7 days.

Born in Princetown, Corentyne, Berbice, Guyana, to Mohanlall and Samdai Ghooray, Terbenie was the third of six children. A master carpenter and cabinet maker by trade, his hands built not just furniture, but a future for his family. His journey took him from the shipyards of Sprostons in Georgetown to a brief but pivotal stay in Canada, and finally to Pennsylvania, USA. There, his expertise was recognized immediately by Dravo Corporation, where he spent the remainder of his long and successful career building ships.

Terbenie’s life was defined by his spirituality and the leadership of his household. He was a devoted husband to the late Chandrawattee (Reena) Ghooray for 57 years. During her years of illness, he froze everything else in life to care for her. One could say his devotion to her was parallel only to his devotion to his beloved Vishnu. His children remember Terbenie and Chandrawattee’s selflessness towards each other as a masterclass in love and dedication. A true pioneer of his lineage, he migrated his wife and children to the U.S. where he spent the remainder of his years. He worked tirelessly to ensure his children and grandchildren had every opportunity to thrive.

Whether he was driving across the country to surprise a grandchild at school, lighting sparklers to celebrate an arrival, or sharing lessons from The Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana in his puja room, Terbenie’s presence was a dependable and consistent source of light. He was a man of daily prayer who lifted up his entire family every morning, asking for blessings on their behalf.

Terbenie was preceded in death by his wife Chandrawattee and his siblings Leela, Pulwah, Sabie and Gautam.

He is survived by his children; Dushan (Dropattie Gail) Ghooray, Basmattee Devi (Hardat Shivcharan) Khublall, Ramesh (Radica) Ghooray, Ganesh (Julie) Ghooray, and Giresh (Chitra) Ghooray. He is also survived by his sister Rosie and his grandchildren; Nita Chang, Andrew Ghooray, Andrea Ghooray, Michael Khublall, Prem Ghooray, Kevin Khublall, Kala Ghooray, Davika Ghooray, Harold Ghooray, Shana Ghooray, Nalin Ghooray and Anish Ghooray. Lastly, he is survived by his great-grandchildren; Aryan Ghooray, Rohan Haworth, and Eshaan Ghooray.

Terbenie was the ultimate guide and support of his family. He was the definition of reliable. Though he could be firm in his beliefs and ways, that persistence allowed him to live a fruitful and adventurous life. That same dedication led him to live out his final years as a true Sadhak (a dedicated daily practitioner of Hinduism and Sanatan Dharma) until his peaceful transition into the next life.

As his daughter Devi lovingly said, “He truly loved everything godly…His legacy of faith and sacrifice is a gift we will always cherish.”