St. Xavier’s College is in mourning as it has lost a true Xaverian, someone who personified what being a Xaverian meant. Reverend Father Patrick Eaton SJ, former Vice Principal of Arts and Science at St. Xavier’s, passed away aged 82 on December 26, in Kolkata.
Having spent almost all of his life at St Xavier’s, Fr Eaton did his schooling and graduation from SXC before attaining a Master’s in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. He returned to Kolkata and dedicated himself to the church — becoming a priest before spending the next three decades in various roles at St Xavier’s teaching English and Sociology. He served as the Vice Principal from 1991-2006. In 2006, he became the controller of examinations — a post he held until 2009. He also served as an advisor to Marian Education Society from 1986, until his passing.
“Father Eaton went out of his way to help young Anglo-Indians from not so well-to-do backgrounds, where he would take those who had dropped out and teach them a refresher course at St Mary’s School on Ripon Street to help these individuals carve a path back into college and professional life,” said Father Jimmy Keepuram SJ, former Vice Principal at St Xavier’s, who worked closely with Fr Eaton. What started off as a way to help Anglo-Indian children has today transformed into the Marian Co-Educational School, which has a CISCE curriculum in Picnic Gardens.
My Kolkata reached out to a few of Fr Eaton’s former students as the Xaverian community mourns this huge loss. Here’s what they had to say…
‘He encouraged students to help the needy’
“Father Eaton used to be very strict during our days and expected every student to abide by the rules and regulations in terms of their attire, presentation and attendance. He encouraged students to help the needy, and be a part of the NSS (National Service Scheme), and engage themselves in either teaching the village kids at Paikhala (South 24 Parganas), taking part in summer camps, and organising health camps in remote villages. During my graduation, in spite of me not being his student, he encouraged me to represent the Bengali Literary Society as secretary and plan cultural activities. He encouraged me to be a student reporter for the St Xavier’s College beat, and many of my authored byline reports got carried in The Telegraph and The Statesman in those days. During Christmas, he used to give his students cakes, chocolates and used to treat us with samosa and chai from Arun da’s canteen.”
— Abhishek Banerjee, Bcom Honours 2005 batch
‘A father figure who was always there for us’
“A father figure who was always there for us during our college days is no more. He was a strict disciplinarian, but fully supported his students in all their activities. His departure will be felt by all who were fortunate enough to be in college when he was the Vice Principal. Rest in peace, Father.”
— Waqar Haider, English Honours, 1991 batch
‘I have learned the values of discipline from him’
“I have a lot of memories of him, because he was my professor. He used to teach me sociology. When I joined, he was a professor of sociology and hin charge of the hostel. Then, in 1991, he became the vice principal and I became the general secretary of the students union. So, I had that opportunity to work with him as the student union secretary and as a student. He was a very disciplined person and very strict. I have hardly seen him smile. He was a good administrator and he was a good professor as well. I have two memories I want to share.
One was in 1991, when I was standing as a GSEC candidate for the students union election. So, when I went to him to give my nomination paper, he told me: ‘Son, your college attendance is 100 percent, but your class attendance is zero. So how could you become a class rep?’ But he still allowed me to contest the election and I won.
My wife is also from St. Xavier’s. When my wife went to give him our wedding invitation card, he told her: ‘Didn’t get any other good boy to marry?’
If I think harder, I can find hundreds of incidents like these because I used to interact with him on a daily basis. Like all the students I too am deeply saddened to hear about Father’s passing. St Xavier’s contributed a lot to my formative years, and a lot of the contribution is from the Fathers and, especially Father Eaton, I have learned the values of discipline from him. As his student, I pray for his departed soul that he may rest in peace.
— Firdausul Hasan, Sociology, 1992 batch
‘Father Eaton played a very important role in our lives’
“Father Eaton is still alive in me through the memories, and through the little time that I spent with him. My relationship with him was probably a little bit different than others, and my music played a very important role in our relationship.
In college, everyone knew and loved me mostly for my music, from the professors and the principal — everybody except Fr Eaton! One year, the then President of India, Dr. DPJ Abdul Kalam was visiting SXC and I was to sing a song at the event. The rehearsals were long and went on for over two months. Father Eaton, who was the Vice Principal for our stream at that time, was not very happy. And he would always scold me in his typical style, saying, ‘You have to take care of your attendance, I don't care if you’re doing your rehearsals or what.’
I was very afraid of him, thinking he didn’t like me. When that programme took place, he was in the audience, and after that the love and care that I saw from Fr Eaton was there throughout the three years I was in SXC. The other thing I remember is that everybody would be afraid to get excuse slips from Fr Eaton. But, I always got immense privilege in getting these slips. He never questioned me, and that made me a hero amongst my friends.
Though we were regular visitors to our college, either for shows or other events, we couldn’t meet him as often since he didn’t stay on campus. But we have very fond memories of him. Father really played a very important role in our lives.”
— Soumyajit Das, English Honours, 2006 batch
“The first time we visited Germany was for a long music tour and we were students of the college at that time. We brought back some water from the river Rhine, because in Germany, the water is believed to be holy. We took some in a small bottle for Father Eaton and gave it to him. In his typical manner, he asked us, ‘Why don’t you think our corporation water is holy? Why do you have to get it all the way from Germany?’ We later realised what the philosophy behind him saying that was. It was that to consider something holy is the prerogative of the person and it comes from within that person’s thought process. So no matter what, if I consider my corporation water holy, then it becomes holy. Because it is me who thinks it is to be holy.”
— Sourendro Mullick, Commerce, 2005 batch
‘Thank you for the countless memories and, of course, the excuse slips!’
“I owe so much to Father Eaton. He was not just a wise and good vice principal, but also an exceptional teacher. His calm nature always stood out — so much so that even in anger, it was hard to tell he was upset. Thank you to Father Eaton, for the countless memories and, of course, all the excuse slips! May his journey ahead be peaceful.”
—Ushoshi Sengupta, Humanities, 2008 batch
‘I really miss him – the way I would miss my parents’
Father Eaton was very strict with everyone, but I had a different interaction with him. Then, I had a post in the literary society. Xavostav hadn’t been organised for two years, and then we took it up and I was part of the working committee. I remember Father Eaton being very supportive at the time. I am a teacher myself, and without his guidance, I wouldn’t have achieved my dreams. I started my career with UNDP Delhi, and he was again an inspiration for that. He used to say, ‘do something in your life which will make you proud from inside. Be compassionate towards the world.’ Thus, when I got the opportunity to be a part of UNDP, I just grabbed it.
Father taught me sociology. Since he was the Vice Principal for the Arts Department, we had to go to him for every little thing. For example, if we bunked class, we had to get an excuse slip from Father. While everyone else had to come up with a valid reason, he never questioned me since we were involved in Xavotsav. I remember, once he told me: ‘you keep the bunch’. I remember laughing it off. He was very sweet. He had confidence in his students. He knew that these students won’t cause trouble and can be trusted. Somewhere down the line that has helped me a whole lot.
I really miss him – the way I would miss my parents. I miss him in a similar manner. He has been a very big influence in my life.
—Nandita Ghosh, Political Science Honours, 2002 batch
(With inputs from Pooja Mitra)