Mangalore: Jesuit Scientist - Fr Stany Vas passes away

Mangalore: Jesuit Scientist - Fr Stany Vas passes away

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, July 8, 2014: Rev. Fr. Stany Vas S J, 89 years, passed away July 7, 2014 after a brief illness in Mangalore. Information says his funeral will take place at Fatima Retreat house, Valencia on July 8 (today - Tuesday)) at 4.pm.

In 1972-74  Fr. Dr. S F or Stanislaus Vas S J,  or ’Stany Vas’ more popularly, was the 18th Rector of  St Aloysius College,  the great education centre of Mangalore. He served as Professor, HoD, Principal, Rector and Spiritual Guide in Mangalore, Bangalore, Chennai and so on.. Born in August 1924 he was professed a ’Jesuit’ in 1945 (69 years ago), he contributed his expertise in many fields at Fatima Retreat House, Mangalore, since 2001. In recent years he had his usual share of age related health issues but it was amazing to see Fr Stany at an advanced age 88 going about his proactive life. When admired he invariably said ’Please Thank GOD for me’.

 

Born into a premier Catholic family of Mangalore - ’the Vas Naiks of Falnir’  on 13 August, 1924 people were glad to see his smiling face and good word. Consoling the sick in hospitals was his special action!  The achievements of  Fr Stany Vas are phenomenal. He obtained  an M.Sc in Chemistry from Loyola College Madras in 1960. He was then expectedly one of the earliest of the community to earn a Ph.D from  Chicago’s (USA) famous Loyola University.

As a senior faculty and Rector, development and utilisation of the grant from the University Grants Commission in 1971 under the College Science Improvement Programme at St Aloysius was his gift. As a brilliant Professor of Chemistry who had, especially, the very valuable experience of having done his doctoral research in Chemistry in an American university (where he gained a valuable knowledge in advanced science education plus new and effective ways of organizing modern college laboratories and also using new teaching aids and so on), he was able to spear head  the optimum utilization of the grant for the improvement of science teaching in the College.

Scientific film-strips, up dated  apparatus, advanced teaching aids and scientific kits et al  obtained; a practical Workshop was set up; a miniature zoo and a fern-house were established; and the science library was greatly expanded. Student  inter-collegiate seminars were organized and extra “practicals" of an advanced kind were provided.  The experience gained by Science teachers from "Workshops" and seminars enabled them to devise many useful educational aids in different parts of the country. As a result of the College Science Improvement Programme, there certainly occurred a distinct improvement in pure science education in the Colleges, as later examination results and projects prove. Fr.Vas’  great ability to visualize and plan  out-of-the-box brought laurels not only to the institutions but to education over all. It is dedicated and brilliant mentors and educators like Fr Stany who  brought scientific advancement; it is incalculable how many without discrimination, have gained  spiritually,intellectually and materially  - such true people are immemorial and commended by generations. Indeed another irreplaceable human has departed forever. May his eternal soul rest in peace.