Eulogy on Brother Ultan Paul 

             by Brother Vincent Corkery

Brother U Paul Rosario fsc 1920-2000

Brother U Paul Rosario passed away 6.15pm 18 April at Fatimah Hospital Ipoh, having been hospitalised for some ten days because of  increasing attacks of neuralgia and related problems.  The funeral service took place in St Michael’s Institution Hall at 2.30pm 20 April, followed by a procession through the streets of Ipoh. He was interred in the Catholic Cemetery in Tambun. 

He was due to be 80 on 28 November 2000.  RIP

Eulogy by Brother Vincent Corkery

Today as we celebrate the gift of Brother U Paul, we salute in him the last of a line of very wonderful Brothers from Burma,   who served with distinction in our Lasallian schools.

Just three years ago Brother Paul celebrated his diamond jubilee as a Brother.  Even now I think of him as something of a diamond with its many facets, each facet a window to a deeper world of mystery within.

One facet is his simple life line:  born in Burma some 80 years ago, studied at the famous  St Paul’s High School in Rangoon, where among his more remembered teachers was Brother Basil Voon, himself an early pupil of St Michael’s Institution, Ipoh.  It was Br Basil who suggested that he become a Brother, a suggestion he kept putting off, but eventually at 14 he decided to give it a try and came to Penang where he joined the juniorate programme.

Robert Malcolm Rosario -the future Bro Paul
(seated centre) with
parents and siblings

A few years later he entered the Novitiate – this was a decisive step on becoming a Brother.

Finally as a freshly trained young Brother he arrived here at St Michael’s in 1939, some months short of his 19^th birthday.  And so began a happy association with this school which was to last more than 60 fruitful years.  

During these years he would teach in the classroom, coach the students on the playing field, help with stage productions and take part in the multiplicity of youthful activity traditional to this school, and eventually assume leadership as Director for more than 20 years.

It is of interest that when he arrived this very hall was under construction, as well the labs overhead, the chapel and the Brothers’ quarters.  Little did he then suspect that in just a few years, this hall would become the state treasury under the Japanese government,  the chapel the state council chamber and the Japanese Governor took up residence in the Brothers’ quarters.

RMR (Bro Paul) seated to left of Bro Basil Voon at
St Michael's ,Mandalay

The war years were years of total dislocation.  The school ceased to function, the Brothers were scattered, some imprisoned, Brother Paul transferred to Kuala Lumpur where he was allowed to join the special language classes to qualify to teach in Japanese.  This he did, thanks to his expertise with languages.

After the war it was back to SMI where over the next few years the school stretched its resources to the limit to cope with a huge influx of new students.  Again Brother Paul was involved in the bricks and mortar of new extensions which completed the façade of the main block, as well as the bricks and mortar of building up a vibrant Michaelian spirit which would endure.

Bro Paul with Brother Nicet Joseph ,Superior General of the Lasallian Order

As soon as opportunity struck he took study leave, and joined lectures at Singapore University while preparing for the London BA.  He obtained his BA with honours,  and after brief periods at St Xavier’s in Penang and St Paul’s in Seremban he was appointed director of SMI in January 1961, amid great rejoicing among his many friends.

His return to SMI as principal signaled one of the great periods of growth for the school in every field of endeavour, notably studies, stage productions and sports.

Bro Paul receives an award from Prime Miniuster
YAB Tun Haji Abdul Razak bin Hj Hussein
in recognition of his leadership of the St John Ambulance
Brigade Malaysia

But perhaps we could turn the diamond to another facet.  

In these years we notice that Brother Paul’s main focus was on persons.  Programmes, projects, his attention to administrative detail and even putting up buildings never took priority over persons.  His door was always open to students, teachers, parents,  even important people in public life.  

His gift was for people.  All who came to him found ready welcome and the assurance of being fully understood, of being affirmed in their unique dignity and identity.

I have met numerous people over the years, young and not so young, well off and not so well off, who confess that they owed so much to Brother Paul.   In most cases I never came to know what this was that made all the difference, for even though I lived in close friendship with Brother Paul for 40 years, never once did he reveal to me anybody’s problem or predicament.  With him confidentiality was absolute, and I think people knew this.

Bro Paul welcoming DYMM Sultan Idris Al Mutawakil
Shah, Sultan of Perak to St Michael's for Sports Day (1960s)

How he touched the lives of so many in such diverse circumstances will remain a mystery.  One winning trait was his regular comment:  Can I help you in any way?

Another facet of our diamond.  Brother Paul

Bro Paul:Scholar, Sportsman , Educator and Gentleman
Par Excellence

was a scholarly man, well versed in Latin and English literatures,  a life long student of languages and a serious reader.  I often wondered how he managed to read so much, and share it with us afterwards, considering the long hours he spent with people.  His study of Chinese characters was a life long passion, and a recent email from Kota Kinabalu spoke of pride as Brother Paul’s letter was read out over Radio 4, clarifying the meaning of the word “panjandrum” – a word that had puzzled an earlier listener, a word most of us don’t have in our vocabulary, but which Br Paul had, typically!

But beyond his wonderful endowments of mind and heart we come to a profoundly spiritual man, another facet of the diamond, a man who spent long hours in personal time before God.  It was from this contact with a personal God that he drew energy and insight to be present to people so effectively.

Yesterday as I entered his bed room I stopped briefly to look again at the picture of his mother, always prominently displayed on his desk.  I noticed her facial expression, frank and open to people, and I saw the eyes which spoke of love and understanding, and I felt that of the many who helped shape this meek and gentle  person we knew as Brother Paul, surely his mother must take pride of place.

I always held him in special reverence for the way he made himself available to people, with never a thought for his own comfort or convenience.   Personal convenience never entered into his calculations, often missing out on his regular meal or needful rest.

Speaking as a confrere I shall always treasure times we managed to leave serious matters aside, and chat frankly and freely about life in general, sharing our memories and experiences, how his nephews and nieces were doing. 

Brother Paul was very close to his family, who are now mostly settled in UK.   His one surviving brother, Len and wife Peggy have been on the phone, as also his nephew Michael and niece Sharon.  They share in our sense of loss in a very special way.  They relished his occasional visits and his stay among them.  I take this opportunity to extend our sincere condolences to Len & Peggy and to all his nephews and nieces.

I wish to thank the doctors and staff of Hospital Fatimah, in particular Brother Patrick, for the wonderful care they took of Brother Paul.   A special word of appreciation to Dr Giritharan of Ipoh Specialists Centre for monitoring Brother Paul’s health so very effectively these many years.  In recent years Brother Paul suffered from occasional attacks of neuralgia – a condition so excruciating that reportedly people have been know to commit suicide.   This was a facet of the diamond which even close friends did not suspect.  He rarely spoke of his own problems.  These attacks became more frequent in recent months,  and it was to stabilise matters that we had him admitted to Hospital ten days ago.  The doctors managed to bring it under control, but then other complications set in.  I wish to thank Dr Y C Lee who kept a regular check on his eyes, always a source of acute anxiety for Brother Paul.

There is no way I can adequately thank the many people who visited Brother Paul from time to time, who came by at La Salle Centre to help him in one way or another,  who assisted with sorting out problems and gave financial help when needed for a poor student. These past several weeks Jenny and Philip Fung and their two daughters  have been boundless in their caring attention, they have our full gratitude.   Many more wanted to help, but his condition was such that it was found necessary to limit admission.

Finally a word of personal thanks to Brother Matthew Bay, Eric Bryan, Martin Jalleh and Terry and the other helpers at La Salle Centre who have taken care of all arrangements so thoughtfully, tirelessly and imaginatively.   And my thanks to the Principal, Mr Louis Rosario Doss, to SMI staff, prefects and uniformed units for rising so splendidly to this historic moment.   Brother Paul loves you all and it is now that he can shower many blessings on you all, and I know he will.

Beyond our tears, our faith tells us that this is Brother Paul’s great day, his going home to the God he has served so selflessly to his last breath.   Today we celebrate Brother Paul as God’s gift among us, God’s gift to St Michael’s, but to many more besides.  

Datuk Lee Oi Hian shared with me a Bible text as he came by yesterday, a text which he felt applied very beautifully to Brother Paul:  I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies it bears much fruit.

Brother Paul  has been good news because he lived compassionately and transfigured much that was negative in our lives.  His passing is not to somewhere strange, but rather to the home he has never left.

May his gentle soul rest in the peace of the Lord.