Born March 22, 1924 in Bacalar, Quintana Roo, Mexico while Belizean parents were traveling.
Parents Stella Alberta Gill (of Placencia) and Juan Castro Pollard
Education
1928-36 Holy Redeemer and St. Ignatius Schools
1937-41 St. John’s College
Community Involvement
1930-2003 Loyal and faithful member of the Roman Catholic Church of Belize
1940s Collaborated with George McKesey and CMO Dr. Cheverton in presenting health plays on Z1K2
1945-50 Political and patriotic campaigner
First pro-tem chairman, co-founder, director of education, and member of Holy Redeemer Credit Union
Co-founder, speaker and active representative of the Loyal Patriotic Order of the Baymen (Queen of the Bay)
1950s Presented with Rita Reyes Hopun the Lyons Family series on the new BHBS station (behind the Paslow Building)
Trade Unions
1948-50 Founder-President of the British Honduras Mercantile Clerks Union
1950-56 General Secretary of the British Honduras General Workers Union
1956-58 Founder/General Secretary of the Christian Democratic Union
1961 Founder/organizer of the Southern Christian Union
1962 Founder/organizer of the Christian Workers Union
1963 Founder/organizer of the National Federation of Christian Trade Unions
1969 Founder/General Secretary of the Democratic Independent Union
Political
1942 Campaigned on rostrum for L. Ayuso and Simeon A. Hassock to be elected members of the then Legislative Council
1950-58 Co-founder and executive councilor of the People’s Committee (People’s United Party)
1961 Contested the national elections to the new Legislative Assembly
International
1951 Organizer for Central America in ORIT (Inter-American Regional Organization of Labour) based in Washington, D.C. and pre-Castro Havana, Cuba
1961-69 Assistant secretary for the English-speaking Caribbean in the CLASC and IFCTU (International Federation of Christian Trade Unions) based in Brussels, Belgium; Santiago, Chile; and Caracas, Venezuela
Writer, Poet, Performer and Teacher
1956 Founder and editor of the Belize Times
1970-2003 Avid writer and newspaper columnist featuring “Signs of the Times” and other socio-political commentaries
Wrote several published poems including “The Black Goat”, “Brown Christ in My Mirror”, “Ode to Ambergris Caye”, Independence”, “This is Belize”, and many others.
Performed several “One-Man” shows at the Bliss Institute including singing, reading of poetry and yoga performances.
1980-2003 High school teacher of English, Literature and Belizean History at several high schools including Anglican Catheral College and St. John’s College