‘Ben was a gentleman’

“Ben was such a gentleman—one of the few remaining gentlemen in the world. He really had a good heart,” said Eric Bozman, longtime friend of Benjamin Brice Govendo, who died in a fatal car accident early Saturday morning.

Bozman said he was in an utter state of shock when a common friend informed him of the tragic news Saturday morning. He said he initially couldn’t believe the news, so he called up Govendo’s father—Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth Govendo—and verified if all of it was true.

“His father was called in to identify the body at 4 o’clock in the morning,” Bozman disclosed.

Bozman and younger Govendo attended a friend’s birthday party at Capitol Hill Friday night. It was an intimate party to which only close friends were invited.

During the party, Govendo was in his usual element—full of spirit and enthusiasm—as he gamely tried to get to know everyone at the celebration.

Bozman said Govendo was also a funny guy, who always found time to entertain guests with his assortment of international accents.

According to friends, Govendo lived in Thailand for four years where he worked as an instructor. He said he found the Thai accent amazing. He would ask people to name a country and he would imitate its people’s accent. During the party Friday, he tried his hand mimicking Spanish, Filipino, and British accents.

That night, Govendo also gathered together friends and other guests as he pulled out a family photo from his wallet. He said he was so proud of his family. He said he is so proud of his father, of whom he spoke so much about. Friends said Govendo was especially fond of his father’s account of the Seven-Day War.

THE BIRTHDAY BOY, TOO

During the party, Govendo announced to the group that he just turned 32 on Sept. 29 and jokingly said that the birthday bash was as much his celebration as it was for the actual celebrant’s.

Govendo also told the group that he was recovering from a failed marriage but this did not stop him from living life to the fullest every moment.

He was about to work full time in one of the prepositioned ships in the CNMI and was about to undergo a two-week training in Hawaii supposedly this coming Thursday.

Bozman said Govendo was a person with a pure heart as he accepted people around him for who they are. He said Govendo was not judgmental. “He didn’t judge people,” Bozman said, adding that Govendo was kind and giving.

Govendo also loved to read books. One would see him taking his dinner or snacks with a book always in hand. Friends said that Govendo just couldn’t put a good book down.

Bozman said people would sometimes think he and Govendo were brothers since they are both Jewish. He said that Govendo was very much attached to his cultural heritage.

Another friend, Theo Wong, said she had known Govendo for only about four months, but found him to have a great passion for martial arts and travel.

“He had a wonderful and positive outlook in life,” she said. Wong said she remembers that Govendo always made it a point to wear a smile.

Wong, who received the news of Govendo’s demise early Saturday morning from Bozman, was also shocked to learn about the fate of their friend.

Both admitted that the past weekend was the most depressing weekend for them and their friends.