Rest in peace: Mary Caleb, former principal of St Joseph's College, dies at 75
Her family and colleagues describe her as a kind sister, loving mother and a devoted teacher
KARACHI:
Former principal of St Joseph's College for Women, Mary Caleb, was one of the early residents of Karachi who breathed her last among the hills of Islamabad at the age of 75.
Caleb opened her eyes in the house of Chintamani Caleb located on the ground floor of Bhagvanji Govindji building of Ranchore Lines in 1939. She studied at St Joseph's and completed her Master's in general history with a gold medal from the University of Karachi.
Soon after completing her Master's, Caleb joined St Joseph's College as a teacher of history and served there until 2010 as a vice-president, acting principal and then as a fulltime principal for the year 2009-2010.
In May 2005, when the college was denationalised and returned to its legal owners, it was Caleb who backed up Sister Mary Emily, the then principal of the college, as the vice-principal and helped reorganise it. "Ms Caleb played a vital role along with Sister Mary Emily in reorganising the college when it was denationalised. That was a critical time for the college," said Menin Rodrigues, former adviser to the Archbishop for denationalisation of colleges. Rodrigues found her to be a 'dedicated teacher'.
"She was a very compassionate being," said Seemin Qamar, a former head of the department of psychology under Caleb's tenure as the college principal. "A caring and understanding person who dealt with various issues very calmly. She was the top promoter of education in the college and always seemed concerned about the students and their problems."
After her retirement, Caleb wanted to stay in Karachi but when her daughter, Gloria Caleb, got a job in Islamabad, they had to move there, said Caleb's younger brother, Dr Anand Raju Caleb. In Islamabad, she suffered from anxiety that affected her blood pressure and ultimately led to her death.
"She treated me like a child and when I was doing my BSc, she helped me study humanities, which was my weak subject," her brother recalled. "She taught me everything about the subject that helped me get 70 per cent marks in that paper." Dr Anand said his sister would help any student, in the community or on the street, who would come for help.
Gloria, her niece and adopted daughter, said she owes everything in her life to Caleb and, perhaps, her own parents may not have done all that Caleb did for her. "Amma was my father, my mother and my friend," she said. "Today, I lost my world."
Caleb was fond of reading and would extensively read books, magazines and newspapers related to her interests. That is why she was a confident teacher and was never afraid of her students' questions, said Gloria.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 26th, 2014.
Former principal of St Joseph's College for Women, Mary Caleb, was one of the early residents of Karachi who breathed her last among the hills of Islamabad at the age of 75.
Caleb opened her eyes in the house of Chintamani Caleb located on the ground floor of Bhagvanji Govindji building of Ranchore Lines in 1939. She studied at St Joseph's and completed her Master's in general history with a gold medal from the University of Karachi.
Soon after completing her Master's, Caleb joined St Joseph's College as a teacher of history and served there until 2010 as a vice-president, acting principal and then as a fulltime principal for the year 2009-2010.
In May 2005, when the college was denationalised and returned to its legal owners, it was Caleb who backed up Sister Mary Emily, the then principal of the college, as the vice-principal and helped reorganise it. "Ms Caleb played a vital role along with Sister Mary Emily in reorganising the college when it was denationalised. That was a critical time for the college," said Menin Rodrigues, former adviser to the Archbishop for denationalisation of colleges. Rodrigues found her to be a 'dedicated teacher'.
"She was a very compassionate being," said Seemin Qamar, a former head of the department of psychology under Caleb's tenure as the college principal. "A caring and understanding person who dealt with various issues very calmly. She was the top promoter of education in the college and always seemed concerned about the students and their problems."
After her retirement, Caleb wanted to stay in Karachi but when her daughter, Gloria Caleb, got a job in Islamabad, they had to move there, said Caleb's younger brother, Dr Anand Raju Caleb. In Islamabad, she suffered from anxiety that affected her blood pressure and ultimately led to her death.
"She treated me like a child and when I was doing my BSc, she helped me study humanities, which was my weak subject," her brother recalled. "She taught me everything about the subject that helped me get 70 per cent marks in that paper." Dr Anand said his sister would help any student, in the community or on the street, who would come for help.
Gloria, her niece and adopted daughter, said she owes everything in her life to Caleb and, perhaps, her own parents may not have done all that Caleb did for her. "Amma was my father, my mother and my friend," she said. "Today, I lost my world."
Caleb was fond of reading and would extensively read books, magazines and newspapers related to her interests. That is why she was a confident teacher and was never afraid of her students' questions, said Gloria.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 26th, 2014.