12th
July 2012
Mrs Mona
James Passes Away at 99
Mrs Mona James,
one of St Lucia’s best known and most
beloved educators has died.
Mrs James or
Ma James, as she was respectfully known by most
people, was born August 6, 1912 and died July
6, 2012 at 11:00 am at her home in Marisule,
one month short of her 100th birthday.
A graduate of
St Joseph’s Convent, Mrs James subsequently
attended Pitman’s College in the UK where
she received advanced secretarial training and
did courses in typing, speedwriting and other
related disciplines.
From the late
1950’s to 1960 she worked in the Government
Service and served as a Secretary to St Lucia’s
first Chief Minister, Sir George Charles. Thereafter
she taught at the Castries Intermediate School
and was later appointed Head of the Morne Fortune
Technical College where she served until 1971.
She then retired
and started her own secretarial training school,
the James Secretarial School located at 81 Chaussee
Road, Castries.
Mrs
James’ passion for education and her love
for children compelled her to devote the rest
of her working life to giving girls and young
women in St Lucia an opportunity that she had
enjoyed throughout her life – the opportunity
to further their education and take advantage
of new opportunities opening up for women in
the office. This was at a time when there were
fewer secondary schools in St Lucia and access
to specialised training in secretarial skills
was limited. The James Secretarial School offered
classes in typing, shorthand, principles of
business, book keeping and accounting and several
other related courses. |
