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The Cincinnati-born Irish American lad came to Nepal in 1961 as a young Jesuit priest, and spent his entire life serving the country as a teacher at St Xavier's in Godavari and Jawalakhel. He inspired both awe and fear, especially if you were a growing Nepali boy under his tutelage having had to confront the giant that he was when he was upset with some homework not done.
There have been unfortunate ones who have faced the Donnelly fury. But this was because the teacher of English grammar and later principal was a perfectionist who drove his students to achieve excellence. Not a comma could be out of place, and the use of every semi-colon needed to be fully justified. There is a whole generation of Nepalis today in their middle ages whose grammar and punctuation is what it is because of Fr Donnelley.
Long before he even decided to come to Nepal, Jim knew that the path he had chosen, to serve God through the Society of Jesus was not an easy one, but he was not a man to falter. This was a character reflected in his personal life. The goal he set himself to, improving the standard and quality of the English language knowledge of his students is one of his biggest contributions to the education sector of Nepal.
It was not easy seeing a man one associated with so much of energy and life vegetate into an invalid, forgotten by those whose every detail he remembered and filed, until his death in coma last week. His last wish, to be bestowed an honorary Nepali citizenship was left unfulfilled.
Alok Tumbahangphey
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James J Donnelly, teacher
