Cathedralites - Say “Goodbye Bill”

I have posted details of the funeral on our Seventh Heaven Blog

Annikki and I would like to say our fond farewell to our dear friend, my physics teacher from my days in Cathedral and John Connon School, Bombay (Mumbai).

Bill passed away yesterday at the age of 98. His wife, Pushpa was with him.

Bill introduced me to physics and the basics he taught me, starting with the first experiment on measuring specific gravity, stood me in good stead especially when I had to master the subject of Polymer Physics.

Bill was on the staff of the school and introduced us to Physics.

Boys' School Staff 1958

Bill was the Assistant House Master of Wilson House which was Cock House in 1956

Bill was a powerful singer and sang as tenor in the St. Thomas Cathedral Choir where I was also privileged to sing under late Charles Velu.

The portal of the St. Thomas Cathedral church.

Bill also sang the lead in the school annual musical operas.

He and his wife, Pushpa, took part in our 2009 Golden Jubilee Reunion of the Class of 59 in Bombay. He also visited the reunion of the 1964ers Reunion, with me and 59er class teacher John Billington, held the same year.

Bill in the group photo of the 59ers after the Founders Day Service

Our contact with Bill and Pushpa was kept alive by the late Hasnain Chinwala (Chinnie), our dear classmate, who also lived in Toronto, Canada, and visited Bill and Pushpa as often as they would have him.

This photo album below with inputs from late Chinnie, compiled by me, shows how dear Bill and Pushpa were to us 59ers. 

Family photo of Bill and Pushpa

We celebrated Bill's 85th birthday via late Chinnie.

We were also there, in spirit, for Bill's 90th birthday, thanks to late Chinnie.

Bill, Pushpa and late Chinnie with Viney

Bill, Viney and late Chinnie

Pushpa lays out the dinner table for Viney

Bill, Viney and Pushpa

Their doors were always open for us 59ers. 59er Viney Sethi from California and late Chinnie visited him in Toronto and they called me on the phone from there.

59er Dr. Narsys Irani, who was also his student, living in Toronto also visited Bill.

We will miss our dear Bill. 

I am greatly indebted to 54er Gracie Hayeem for updating me of this news. Pushpa had informed me of the situation, after 64er Basil Colaco had informed me that Bill was slowly fading.

I attended the Annual General Meeting of our school alumni today and informed the participants of the passing of Bill. Shyla Boga Patel said she would carry this news on our Cathedral School website.

May Bill rest in peace. 

May our Lord bring peace to Pushpa and their family at this time, knowing he was greatly loved by all of us. 

Condolences from every single 59er who have loved Bill from our first interaction in 1954 (70 years ago).

Why we did not get one important greeting

Annikki and I just received a letter which told us why we DID NOT get one important Season's Greeting in the many thousands that arrived here in Oulu!



This aerogramme from our former driver, Narayanan, brought tears to both Annikki's and my eyes.

Narayanan was the driver for the Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE) office in Madras in 1970. The office was being closed, and my dad, who was the CEO of TCE told us that they would be ending the service of a driver whom he thought was a wonderful individual.

Narayanan became my family driver in 1970. As he spoke a smattering of good English he became a confidant of Annikki who had just settled in Madras.

As I was in the process of establishing my Consulting Company, Polymer Consultancy Services, which required me to travel extensively in India, I was greatly blessed by Narayanan who took care of Annikki and the children with so much love and affection that he became an important member of our family. Every time the children got into the car, he would make sure that each one was safely seated before he started to drive - pre seat belt days.

When we moved to Bangalore in 1976 he continued as our company driver in Madras till he started his own taxi service till his retirement.

On every visit we made to India after we moved to Finland, Narayanan was there to drive us around in Madras.



When we went to India in 1991-92, he turned up with his whole family to see us. I have many beautiful pictures of him and his family with Annikki and me, which we greatly treasure.

His annual greetings were a great comfort to Annikki and me as we knew he and his family were doing well. When we did not get his greetings this last holiday season, both of us were wondering why.

Then this letter brought us this sad news of the demise of his wife and the loneliness that has crept into his life.

Our prayers go out to him and his children as we know they will miss a wonderful lady who had helped Narayanan live a good but tough life and raise a wonderful family.

We, and the many guests of ours whom he looked after with such love and care, grieve with Narayanan and his family.

The passing of my Godmother

Tomorrow would have been her 91st birthday. I had already planned to send her my birthday greetings.

When I reached my computer this morning, a nephew from Bangalore, Chacko Kovoor, had a message on Skype for me telling me of her passing away at 4 am Indian Standard Time, this morning. I was informed that after six weeks of fading health and a day short of her ninety-first birthday, she had passed away.

A great sadness ebbed over me.

Chinchaya in Bombay in 1990.

Dear Chinchaya (Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas - née Matthan) was a loving personality who knew how to bridge the generation gap. She was a friend to people of all generations, and to me she was a wonderful and caring Godmother. She took special pains to attend my Confirmation in 1957 (which was St. Thomas Cathedral in Bombay).

She spent time with me and told me the meaning of life and how to live it.

Chinchaya was always practical and organised in what she did and how she lived her life.

Chinchaya was the immediately younger sister to my father. Of her siblings, she is survived by her youngest brother, Jacob (Kochuppapen) and her two younger sisters, Grace (Accachi) and Susan (Papachi).

She is survived by her daughter, cousin Nirmala, who is the same age as me, Nirmala's husband, Gulden, and their son, Vikram and his family who live in the US. Vikram was the golden boy of Chinchaya and she waited for him to come to Bangalore for his holidays.

I last saw Chinchaya in 2000, when on a flying visit to India, a few months before my mother passed away, I did a detour to Bangalore, especially to see her. She told me that she hoped that Annikki and I would come again soon as she did not have much longer to live.

But, soon after she was on the internet and she was exchanging email messages with me. When I told her that I would like to have the birthdays of all our family members, she painstakingly compiled it and sent it to me in a letter.

I know that this was an act of great love and this is letter that I treasure in my collection of family memorabilia.

In my last conversation with Chinchaya, she had told me that she was passing away the time till she could be in peace. I had asked her to wait for me as I longed to see her again. But, sadly, she could not and in that I grieve, with Annikki of the passing of a great lady, a wonderful friend, and above all, my loving Godmother.

Our deepest condolences go out to Nirmala and her family.

The funeral will be held in a few hours at the St. John's Church, Bangalore, which was close to her home. She will be cremated shortly thereafter.

May Chinchaya's loving soul rest in peace.