DNI Clifford Mr. Daniel Nallathampy Irwin Clifford was born on 03 December 1926 to Gunamudayan Nallathampy Daniel and Mary Daniel in Kandy, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) as the seventh son in a family of eight children. His father worked in the Tea Estates in Kirklees then. Mr. GN Daniel - as his father was called, originated from Vairakudiiruppu, in Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu, India. Because of his work in the tea estate, his wife stayed in Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu in India to bring up the children. He did his early education in Oor Pallikudam (Now HoOme Church Primary School), Scott Christian High School, Scott Christian College all in Nagercoil and then American College in Madurai his degree. After graduation he got married to Esther Gnanabai (called Charlet affectionately at home) of Seynamvilai-daughter of Mr. David Packianathan and Gnanammal. Prior to his marriage, he started work at Vadakkankulam school as teacher. Later after marriage he worked at Kundara CSI Nursing school as Instructor, Neyyoor Mission Hospital as Biologist, ARAMCO as Chemist, Tuticorin/Madras as Building Contractor and then with Bechtel company in Saudi Arabia as Human Resources Administrator. After retirement he served as Deacon in the Nagercoil HOme Church. His wife Mrs Charlet Clifford passed away on 27 July 2011. He passed away on 27 November 2005 and is survived by his seven children, daughter in laws, son in laws, grand children and great grand children.
His oldest son Col (Rtd) Daniel Deva Kumar is married to his maternal cousin Sukhi and they have two daughters Shanthi and Baby who are married. His oldest daughter Mary Gnana Anbu is married to Sathya Kumar Bell who retired from SBI and they have a son Joshua and daughter Joanna. The second son Raja Kumar married Ramani-both bankers with a daughter Berina and son Benjamin. The third son is Jeba Kumar who is married to Malarvizhi and they have a daughter Esther Kiruba. The second daughter Malliha married her paternal cousin Ranjan Samuel and they have a son Sam. The fourth son Prakash Kumar is married to Chitra and they have a son Danny. The last son is Kennedy Kumar who married Bindhu and they have a son Kevin and they are settled in USA.
Dan Clifford as he is affectionately called at SABCO, the last Company that he worked in Saudi Arabia, retired when he was 60 years of age. By God's grace he received GOSI pension-the Saudi Government mandated annuity that was cancelled later for Non Saudis. He also was receiving a pension from Bechtel. He contested in the local Church election and was elected a Deacon from Nagercoil HOme Church. During his first stint in Saudi during the years 1957 to 1962 while he worked for ARAMCO, he visited Israel on his way back on completion of assignment. He voluntarily quit because his wife Charlet could not cope up with the pressure bringing up the four children had by then. On returning to India Dan started a construction business and bid for contracts in the then starting Tuticorin Port Authority. Because he wasn't well versed with the cost of materials in and around Tuticorin, he bid at prices lower and lost a lot of his hard earned Gulf money. So he moved to Madras to bid on building contracts for the PWD-Public Works Department of the State Government of Madras. These contracts were around Arakkonam/Tiruvallur area where the then DMK Government was pushing for infrastructure improvement. He was staying alone in Tiruvallur while the whole family was in Nagercoil in his paternal inherited house at Nathaniel Street. Mrs Charlet would visit him once in a while with the baby Kennedy Kumar. In Madras too he did not make money but had accumulated a debt of more than a hundred thousand rupees-a considerable sum in those days. By this time he had moved his whole family to Madras so that they could be with him. The eldest son Deva Kumar had by now been selected to the National Defence Academy - the premier officers training center in Pune. The eldest daughter Anby had completed her graduation in Chemistry. The second son Raja Kumar was doing his final year degree in Agriculture at Annamalai University. Jeba Kumar was enrolled in Madras Christian College for degree in Mathematics. Mallika and Prkashj were in high school in Avichi High School and Kennedy in Kindergarten.
His childhood friend and distant relative Mr. Arumainayagam Yesudian with his family visited the Cliffords in Madras towards the end of 1975. Noticing that Dan is not making ends meet, he promised to send him a visa to go to Saudi for employment. In 1976 Dan left on a visit visa to Saudi Arabia. Mr. Yesudian gave him board and took him to several prospective employers. Arabian Bechtel Company Limited selected him as it was booming period in Saudi. They posted him as personal assistant to a Project Manager in Juyaimah for an ARAMCO Contract. Later he worked for the same employer in Qurayyah sea water Project. The New Riyadh International Airport was taking shape in Riyadh when he was deputed in the Human Resources (then Personnel) department to work under Kaz Soobzakov a Russian by descent. During this time by God's grace he was able to bring his two sons Raja Kumar and Jeba Kumar to work in the same Project.Until this time Dan worked as International Contract (a contract type of employment). IN 1982 he was converted to International Staff (similar to Western expatriates with better benefits). He would visit his family thrice a year. He moved his family back to Nagercoil soon after Jeba completed his degree. By then Anbu was married to Sathya Kumar who was working in the State Bank of India branch in Nagercoil. His eldest son Deva Kumar got married on Dec 27 1979. During his retirement years he took active part in the local Church activities. He also was a Director of the Christhavar Benefit Fund a local bank mainly dealing in gold loans at minimal interest rates.
Born: Daniel Nallathampy Irwin Clifford
Nationality: Indian
Alma Mater: Scott Christian College, Nagercoil and American College, Madurai
Parents: GN Daniel & Mary Daniel
Siblings
Brothers: Retnam Thampiraj Daniel
Solomon Devadhas Daniel
Daniel SV Alexander
John Augustus Daniel
Sisters: Evelyn George
Flora Yesudian
Retnavathy Karunakaran
Children
Sons : Daniel Deva Kumar
Nallathampy Raja Kumar
Jeba Kumar
Prakash Kumar
Kennedy Kumar
Daughters: Mary Gnana Anbu Kumar
Malliha Ranjan Samuel