Father LeClaire passes away
May 29: Father GERALD E. LECLAIRE, S.J popularly known as Father LeClaire to many Bhutanese has passed away after a lengthy illness, at the Jesuit Infirmary in Pickering, Ontario on May 23. He was 82 years old.
Father LeClaire took over as Principal of Sherubtse College when Late Father Mackey moved down to Khaling to establish Jigme Sherubling Higher Secondary School in the 1970s.
After his tenure in Sherubtse College, Father LeClaire worked in Darjeeling till 1999 when on a visit to Canada he suffered a massive stroke that left him paralyzed. Since then he had been living at the Jesuit Infirmary in Pickering, Ontario.
He was buried in the Jesuit Cemetery yesterday.
Father LeClaire, a selfless and dedicated educator, was from Montreal, Quebec. Although stern sometimes, he always lent an attentive ear to the students’ various grievances. He had many old Sherubtse History students enthralled with his lively and fascinating classes.
In his letter of condolence to Fr. LeClaire’s family, Lhatu Wangchuk, the Bhutan’s Ambassador to Canada said that with the demise of Fr. Leclaire, the Kingdom of Bhutan lost yet another great humanitarian and selfless Canadian who touched thousands of Bhutanese lives.
Source: bbs.com.bt