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GUY MARTAIL
1927—1994
The Universal House of Justice was saddened to learn of the passing of dear Mr. Guy Martail who had the distinction of being among the earliest believers in the Caribbean area. Rest assured that the House of Justice will offer ardent prayers in the Holy Shrines for the progress ofhis soul in all the worlds of God.
Department of the Secretariat August 8, 1994
uy Martaii, the first native of
Martinique to embrace the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, took his flight to the Abhá Kingdom on August 3, 1994. Over one hundred people attended his funeral and listened to the prayers and Sacred Writings that were read during the religious ceremony.
In the mid—I9jos Guy visited French Guiana and met Knight of Bahá’u’lláh Eberhard Koechritz Friedland,“"’ a Bahá’í of German origin who taught him the Faith. Guy married my Aunt Meline in 1959, and two to three years later she joined the Cause.
At a time when no Bahá’í institution had yet been established, Guy and Meline were pillars in the Martinique community, receiving Bahá’í visitors including some of the Hands of the Cause of God. After having been a member of the Assemble’e spiritueile nationale des Antilles franeaises, Guy
106 See “In Memoriam," 77m 811de \Vor/d, vol. XX, pp. 1025—16.
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IN MEMORIAM 1992—1997 167
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Guy Mm'mi/
was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of Martinique at Riḍván 1984.
Guy’s first job was as a carpenter/ joiner. He later taught himself to become an artistic photographer and specialized in beauty-portrait touch—up. “I have changed my working method,” he said to me one day while I was his apprentice, “since I read the Epistle to £193 Son Of [/18 1%[f7’ Being a perfectionist he would seek ways to improve his skills, eventually earning a reputation as being one of the best photographers on the island, once mentioned as such in a radio broadcast.
As a mystic my uncle had a very particular way of talking of spirituality. His friends used to call him “the wise one,” as he knew how to listen and comfort those in need with simple yet divine words.
As a firm and trusting believer he was very interested in the Holy Writings. Just as he had shared his knowledge of photography with me, he also gave me the Message of Bahá’u’lláh, and for the few
years I lived near Guy (1971—1972) I was deepened by him. When some of the passages from the writings seemed complex to us, we would take advantage of the knowledge of the more erudite Visitors such as the Hands of the Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery and Dr. Varqzi.
The remains of Guy Martail were interred in the cemetery of Trabout, Fortde—France, in Martinique, near his parents who became Bahá’ís after their son.
I am convinced that when the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh will have set the world ablaze, many believers will not hesitate to come and meditate at the grave of the first Bahá’í of Martinique.
Tmmlzztm’fiom an article in French written by Daniel Dz‘spagne
