Late Ambrose D’Souza - The first PT master of St. Lawrence High School

By Eugene Moodubelle

Moodubelle, 22 December 2009: The saying, ‘It is not how long you lived your life is important, but how well you lived your life that matters’ is appropriate in the case of late Ambrose D’Souza, popularly known as ‘Ambu Master’, the first Physical Training (PT) teacher of St. Lawrence High School, who died young at the age of 32, practically with shoes on his feet that too on the playground of the High School where he had trained hundreds of students in sports and games, while playing friendly  Kabaddi match.

Born on 21st December 1945, at Poidapady, Ambrose did his initial schooling in the Church Aided Higher Primary School and high school studies in the newly established St. Lawrence High School, Moodubelle. After completing SSLC examination, Ambrose who was physically well built and good in sports and games underwent Physical Teachers’ training and in 1966 was appointed as the first regular PT teacher in the same high school where he had studied.

Ambrose Master had to build the high school sporting activities right from the scratch. Though the high school did not have a proper playground, he utilized whatever space available for promoting filed games such as Kabaddi, Kho-kho, throw ball and Volley ball. In nearly a decade that he was in the high school as the PT Master, Ambrose built up strong teams which won a number of tournaments. He personally used to play with the students while giving them proper guidance and encouragement.

Besides being a PT teacher in the high school who was admired and loved by all the students for his sincerity and helping nature, he was a loving husband, caring father and a fine human being, ready to help anyone in need of his contribution in terms of physical work. According to William D’Sa (Willie Master), teacher of Ambrose in higher primary school and later his neighbour and a close friend, Ambrose was extremely good at heart and he would always help people in organizing any of their functions. As there was no custom of shamiana or catering at that time, Ambrose along with his friends would help in carrying grinding stones or putting up ‘matow’ and even help in other arrangements.

Ambrose married Cecilia of Shirva on 28th January 1971. They have three children-Son, Rakesh and daughters, Rupa and Rekha. Originally, Ambrose was staying at Poidapady, but later in order to be close to the high school where he worked and for the facility of his children’s education he purchased a piece of land by the side of the Red Hill where he shifted after constructing a modest house.

At the time of his untimely death on 26th December 1977,  at the young age of 32 years due to a massive heart attack  while playing friendly Kabaddi match on the high school ground, his eldest son, Rakesh was only five and half years old and his last sister, Rekha was just two years of age. Rakesh does not have a clear memory of his father, but says that he was a loving father. Hearing from others as he grew up, Rakesh learnt that his father was a very helpful person. He narrated one incident to show how his father was keen to help students. When Rakesh met this particular person in Mumbai,  he said to Rakesh that, while studying in the high school, he had to  leave the school due to poverty and lack of resources with the family. When Ambrose came to know why this particular boy was not attending school, he went personally to the house of the student in Pamboor and convinced his parents and the boy himself to attend the school and promised to bear all the expenses of his education in the high school.

Following the sudden death of Ambrose, his young wife, Cecilia and the small children lost all hope in life and faced bleak future as the pillar of the house and the provided to the family was no more. However, Cecilia said that Fr. Alexander Lobo, the then Parish Priest and the Head Master of the High School came to their rescue by making an appeal to the parishioners to help the family in need. A large number of parishioners contributed according to their means for the fund that was meant for the education and future of the children. The amount collected was divided into three parts and was kept in fixed deposits in the bank in the name of the three children.

For day to day expenses, Cecilia had to get the family land at Poidapady cultivated and also managed through the mogra flowers that she had cultivated near her house on the Red Hill. She mentioned with great respect that Willie Master and his wife Rita D’Sa were always available for any type of help that the family required. Besides them, the relatives of both late Ambrose and Cecilia extended financial and moral support to the family when they were in utter financial difficulties. It was due to the good will and support of the relatives, friends and well wishers that all the three children completed their studies up to the PUC in the same institution where once their father was a favourite PT teacher.

When asked Rakesh, who has inherited the physique of Ambrose, when he felt the absence of his father, he narrated the incident that touched my heart very deeply. Rakesh recalled that soon after completing his PUC, like his other friends, he too wanted to join the college for further studies. When he expressed his desire to attend the college, he found his mother being sad and was quiet for many days. When asked the reason of her being sad, Cecilia said to him that with great difficulty she could teach him up to PUC and she had no further means to send him to college which would take another three years. Besides, it was high time that he took up the responsibility of his two younger sisters. If at all he insisted in continuing his education in college she would have to sell her gold to finance his college education. At this point Rakesh says that he realised the absence of his father and made up his mind to take the place of his father as the earning member of the family by searching for a job and supporting his mother and his two young sisters.

Giving up his dream of college education and with the determination of taking up the responsibility of the family, Rakesh went to Mumbai where he got training as an apprentice in the famous Oberoi Hotel for one and a half year. After working in the same hotel for four years, Rakesh got an opening in the Royal Caribbean Cruise in 1996 and gradually rose up to the position of Restaurant Operational Manager. After few years in 2000, Rakesh built the spacious house in the name of his father ‘Amrose’ with well maintained and trimmed lawns and gardens. Rakesh is married to Ashwita Shalet and has a daughter by name Jessica.

It was due to the support given by Rakesh that both his younger sisters have been well educated and settled in life. Rupa, who completed nursing course in Fr. Muller’s Hospital in Mangalore, married Melvyn. She presently works in Queen’s Research Centre in Nottingham in the United Kingdom and has settled down there with her husband and two children-Melvica and Megan.  The youngest sister, Rekha did her graduation and Diploma in Computers. She married to Santosh Monteiro and has settled down in Doha-Qatar along with her husband and two children, Stelon and Shannon.

The family of Ambrose Master has come a long way since his demise in 1977. He would be very proud of his wife who in spite of his absence, brought up their three children with love and care. Definitely he would be doubly proud of his three fine children-Rakesh, Rupa and Rekha who achieved greater heights in their lives as any parents would want their children to be-well educated, happily married and settled down.

As St. Lawrence High School celebrates its Golden Jubilee, Bellevision salutes the memory of late Ambrose Master, the first PT teacher of this illustrious high school, his wife Cecilia for her perseverance and Rakesh, Rupa and Rekha for keeping the memory of their father alive.