Earl John, fondly known as EJ or Bumbles and Storm to his Mausica family only, died on Friday 20th August, 2010. I was shocked and deeply saddened by the news. He was taken away from us far too early.
Earl and I met at Mausica Teachers’ College (MTC) in 1963. I do not remember the exact circumstances of our first meeting. I do recall being accepted into a clique consisting of Annette, Sumatee and Earl. I say accepted because all three were from Arima while I was not. We frequently had meals together and enjoyed the camaraderie. Earl had a wonderful sense of humour and he made us laugh often.
During his years at MTC, Earl distinguished himself in several endeavours including the choir, coral speaking and sports. His main interest though was in sports but more so as an administrator as is demonstrated by his association with Fulham Sports Club, and later CONCACAF, FIFA, TTFF and The Trinidad and Tobago Basketball Federation. It was through his coaching and encouragement that I was able to enjoy a bit of success in my athletic pursuits at MTC.
Earl was trained as a Teacher and stayed in the profession until his retirement from the service. He was a dedicated teacher. By all accounts he was a very good teacher with his unique brand of discipline which earned him the respect of his students and their parents as well as the admiration of his colleagues.
As a friend, Earl was someone you could count on, confide in and trust. He was a gentleman and a genuine human being with all the qualities you would want in a friend. While he remained in Trinidad, I lived in Canada since 1969 and our friendship lasted well beyond the Mausica years, terminated only by his passing. We regularly exchanged letters in the early years then emails with the advent of the Internet. I enjoyed reading all of his communiqués which were mainly about sporting events involving Trinidad and the West Indies and his protégés.
Ours was an unbroken friendship for 47 years. Earl was a mentor to some, a true friend to many, a very dear friend to a few and my best friend. He will be missed by all. I will surely miss him and I shall always remember Mr. Earl Francis John.
My condolences go out to his wife, Marceline and his daughter, Juliette. May he rest in peace!
Errol Lashley
P.S. Read Earl’s account of his student days at MTC:-http://home.cogeco.ca/~elashley/mausica/mausicaHistory1963onEarlJohn.pdf
Read what others have to say about him:-http://www.trinidadexpress.com/sports/Sporting_fraternity_loses_Earl_John-101210884.html
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