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Mathew Boodle, a teacher who inspired many students in Pune passes away
Mathew Boodle, a former teacher of Saint Joseph’s Boys High School, Khadki, passed away at the age of 67
Pune Mathew Boodle, a former teacher of Saint Joseph’s Boys High School, Khadki, passed away at the age of 67, on Wednesday morning. On Monday (January 14) he underwent an operation when his blood pressure (BP) went down and on Wednesday morning he breathed his last. He is survived with his wife Hira Mathew, and two daughters Reena and Namrata. According to his family, the funeral will take place on Friday morning at 11 am, the body will be brought to the Zion Pentecostal Church and thereafter funeral will proceed to the old Holkar bridge cemetery.
He began teaching at the Saint Joseph’s Boys High School in 1977, where he taught English, geography and moral science for over 32 years to the students of class 8,9 and 10. He was also the school officer of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) during his tenure. After his retirement, he worked as a pastor at the Zion Pentecostal church in Khadki.
Boodle was born in 1952 in a middle-class family and later completed his Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) and Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) from Pune University, which is now called the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU).In 2009 he retired from service as a teacher and worked as a pastor at Zion Pentecostal Church and Australian Assemblies of God Mission Kirkee.
“We had already acclimatised to his assertiveness and bold voice during class 8 and 9. With a smile he used his famous assertive statement on the erring students in the class and “I’ll break your bloody coconut” was my favourite. The right emphasis, tonality, facial expressions and gestures brought a shiver in everyone’s spine. We all knew he meant business when he called out our names with piercing eyes,” said Isar Qureshi, former student of the school. Today when I credit for imbibing cornerstone values in me; it was actually Boodle sir who boosted the confidence of one and all, he added. Qureshi further said, “As teachers, we all have our favourites who have developed us during growing up days, but for me, the source of simplicity, clarity, boldness was and will always remain - Mathew William Boodle.”
Giridhar Sundaram, a student of the 1982 batch said, ”He was the best teacher a student could ever have. A true friend, philosopher and guide and a very cheerful person, who went out of his way to mould the students into gentlemen.”
