José Brás Gomes dies at 69

Retired banking executive José Manuel Brás Gomes, 69, died yesterday in Lisbon, after prolonged illness, the family told the Times.
A well-known and charismatic figure in town, Mr Gomes worked for BNU/CGD from the time he first set foot in Macau back in March 1982 to lead the public relations and marketing operations of the Portuguese bank. In 1992, he was appointed director of private banking at BNU, a position he held till 2010 when he moved to the local branch of CGD, as general-manager. José Brás Gomes retired in 2013 remaining as senior adviser to the board of BNU.
Among other public engagements over the years, Mr Gomes was a member of the electoral college that chose the first Chief Executive, Edmund Ho, in 1999.
In the local community, he was particularly popular also because of his role at the Clube Militar where he served for years as vice-president of the board. At the club, he was a constant, amicable presence among fellow members and patrons.
“José Manuel was one of the most charismatic members of the Portuguese community, at the same time kind and discreet,” a close friend told the Times. “That’s why we, in the inner circle of friends, used to call him ‘the prince’,” he added.
Another known aspect of Mr Gomes life was his passion for Benfica. He was a member of the great Lisbon club for over 50 years, and consequently a recipient of the “Golden Eagle” medal.
“His club won in Madrid for the first time in more than 30 years last Wednesday and the center-right political platform he openly supported won the elections on Sunday, so probably he had a great last full-week in this world,” another friend said.
José Manuel Brás Gomes was born on January 6, 1946 in Lourenço Marques (Maputo) but shortly after his family moved to Lisbon. He returned temporarily to Africa in the late 1960s, after being drafted to serve as a lieutenant in the Portuguese Army during the colonial war. PC