Dear Editor,
I only learnt of the passing of Sir Autry Fernandes on Thursday. This was a few days after my colleague and friend Denis Chabrol reached out to me with news that Sir Fernandes was ill. We were discussing how we can get to him and provide any assistance. Sir Fernandes had been a fixture at St Rose’s and Tutorial High Schools for many decades. In fact, he started teaching French at Tutorial High School in 1978.
I met him in 1994 at Tutorial High School but over the years our friendship grew with Sir Fernandes always offering guidance and advice that would benefit my job as a broadcaster. He never missed an opportunity to catch up and was very proud of all the students he taught over the years. Some of us were singled out for special mention when you caught up with him, “you know I taught …” he would say proudly.
Sir Fernandes would be remembered for his dedication, his love for language and reading, the unique way he gestured when teaching and “gaffin”, his faithful bicycle and for coffee and gaffs at Camp Site (Demico) or Demico on Main Street. Not forgetting his many letters to the press.
Sincerely,
Nazima Raghubir