Thanksgiving Service for the Life and Service of Prof.G.K.Mathew - A Report

The MCC fraternity came together with gratitude at 12.40 pm in the Anderson Hall, on Friday, 04 February 2011, in thankfulness for all Prof.George K.Mathew had been by nature and by grace, and for his services rendered to the community.

After Prayer, and the Principal’s Obituary, the solemn gathering stood up to sing to the tune of “How sweet the Name…” Tributes were then offered in memory of the late Prof.G.K.Mathew, by Dr.Felix Moses and Dr.Stephen Jebanesan.

Eulogy delivered by Dr. Felix Moses, Head Department of English, in respectful memory of Professor GKM on 4.2.2011.

“Time like an ever rolling stream bears all its sons away they fly forgotten as a dream dies at the opening day.” We are gathered here today to do our best to prevent this from happening by remembering and thanking our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for the wonderful life of Prof. George K Matthew or GKM as he was more popularly known.

I knew Mr. GKM as teacher, colleague and friend. He was my teacher from Pre-University to M.A. – that’s from 1970 to 76. He belonged to the era when there was no internet and the word ‘multimedia’ was unheard of, but all his classes were richer in content and more vivid in expression than what any multimedia experience could offer. All of us will remember him as an enthusiastic teacher of Shakespeare who would fire our imagination by virtually enacting in his classes whole scenes all by himself. With his exceptional chameleon like ability he would virtually become one character after another in rapid succession by modulating his voice and accent. “Twelfth Night” was his favorite play and he was in his element when teaching it – one moment he would be Orsino the next moment Olivia and the next Feste. Even today his depiction of Malvolio in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” remains firmly etched in my memory.

When I joined the department in 1976, I was assigned as a tutor to him and I had to assist him in his composition classes. He was very kind and would go out of the way to make me feel at ease and would even supervise the writing classes along with me – something which no senior professor would even condescend to do today. When Prof. Bennet Albert retired in 1978 he became the head of the department. As the head he was always proud of his team and would never criticize but only encourage each and every one of us to perform better. As a leader he was a role model for me because he always led by example and would never ask me or anyone else to do something which he himself would not like to do or could not do. I’m not exaggerating when I say that he never raised his voice or spoke harshly to anyone. He was always a generous host and we would always look forward to his departmental meetings because of the cakes which he himself would have baked for us and his very own special blend of lemonade laced with a hint of ginger.

He was a kind and compassionate friend who always had a smile and a cheerful and encouraging word for everyone. He was always young at heart and a true sportsman. When I was a resident of St.Thomas’ he was the warden of the PG block and he would never lose an opportunity to play a game of badminton or table tennis with me. But then, last but not the least his fine sense of unmatched wit and humour - his articles in the college magazine have become collector’s items.

Of his countless witty remarks, the most memorable one would perhaps be his “I teach the boys but watch the girls.” This harmless but nevertheless invigorating preoccupation of his resulted in one of the most exquisite articles in the entire history of our college magazine. In it he traced the history of the girl students of our college from the forties to the eighties in his own inimitable style. I hope Dr. Mathivanan the present editor will be able to reprint the same in the current issue of the college magazine.

It is difficult to sum up the life of a great man in such a short speech and so I quote from his favorite author:

His life was gentle, and the elements

So mix’d in him that Nature might stand up

And say to all the world, 'This was a man!'

Honest, caring and compassionate, we should all be grateful to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that we were given the chance to have known Mr. GKM, a true gentleman of MCC.

[Dr.Stephen's eulogy follows]

Litany that followed:

Calling to remembrance all Thy mercies to us, we thank Thee, O Lord, for the life of Thy servant Prof.G.K.Mathew for the encouragement of his example and the strength of his fellowhship and the leadership he gave as an outstanding member of our College community.

For the grace which was given to him, for the courage of his conviction and the meticulousness of his work, and for the true faith and sure hope in which he lived and died.

That we may hold him in continual remembrance, and the inspiration of his wisdom, leadership and fellowship may rest upon our earthly days, and that we may be prepared to follow him in his upward way.... Amen.

The congregation gave the closing hymn 'The King of love my Shepherd is...' with the Benediction, by our Chaplain.