Layou, Dominica
92
June 18, 2020
He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Alix (née Alexander); his children; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; brother; sister; relatives by marriage; numerous nieces and nephews; cousins; friends; former colleagues and former students.
A private Celebration of Life will be held Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at Resthaven's Abbey Chapel. Live stream will be available on Resthaven's Facebook.
On Tuesday, May 1, 1928, George and Felicia James of Layou, Dominica, welcomed their first son to Planet Earth. They named him Leo Bernard James.
Raised in a strong Roman Catholic home, young Leo had dreams of someday becoming a Roman Catholic priest. But man proposes, God disposes: instead, Leo became a school teacher and school administrator, eventually retiring after 42 years as an educator.
At the time of his retirement, he was serving as principal of the Isaiah Thomas Junior Secondary School in St. Joseph, Dominica. Along the way, he had furthered his education by pursuing studies at the West Indies Teachers’ College in Antigua, West Indies, and the University of Western Ontario, in London, Ontario, Canada.
A committed educator and avid supporter of education, Mr. James encouraged his children to obtain the highest level of education available to them, and to themselves follow him in the field of education. They have taken his advice to heart. Thus far, four have entered the field of education: two hold doctoral degrees in education, two have served as school principals, one is currently on the faculty of the University of New England, and another is on the faculty of Texas Tech University School of Law. The other children have excelled in fields beyond education including accounting, banking, social welfare and medical technology. The children will all attest that their father was one of the significant driving forces behind their achievements.
Mr. James was also committed to his faith. Although his early dream of becoming a Roman Catholic priest did not come to fruition, his faith in God and love for His Church remained strong. For many years he was an active member of the Co-fraternity of the Most Holy Name of God and Jesus (better known as the Holy Name Society) and also served as a lector at the St. Joseph Parish in Dominica. In his later years, as his health declined, Mr. James spent much time at home reciting the Holy Rosary and watching religious programing on EWTN television. In fact, when he was taken ill in March 2020 and spent 10 days at UMC Hospital in Lubbock, Texas, his greatest disappointment was that he was not able to access EWTN from his hospital bed!
Leo Bernard James was better known as “Teacher Leo” or “Sir.” He died in Lubbock, Texas, on June 18, 2020.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Alix (née Alexander); his children; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; brother; sister; relatives by marriage; numerous nieces and nephews; cousins; friends; former colleagues and former students.
A private Celebration of Life will be held Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at Resthaven's Abbey Chapel. Live stream will be available on Resthaven's Facebook.
R. I. P.
A true disciplinary school master.
Remember u at down school, St. Joseph, then up school. And then your continuation in the form of Dr. Shakey., Master Fred, Great Rabbit. My class mate, “Vicky”
Your legacy continues.
Thanks for what u did for me in my junior years. Deep condolences to the close family members and extended ones, too.