THOMAS EDWARD 'Ted' Dwyer, educator and founding principal of Excelsior Community College, Mountain View Avenue in Kingston died yesterday, shortly after 1 p.m. after a brief illness.
Mr. Dwyer suffered a stroke last week Friday while visiting family
member in Mandeville. He was treated at the Mandeville Hospital, and later transferred to the Medical Associates Hospital in Kingston on Saturday before succumbing to his condition yesterday.
Mr. Dwyer was born in the community of Inglewood in Mile Gully, Manchester, the son of Iris Tomlinson and Leonard Dwyer, both deceased. He was the third child of four conceived by his mother, Iris.
"He has done his work for Jamaica, I will miss him, but he has done well for his country," Doris Dwyer, his younger sister, told The Gleaner, yesterday. "He was a wonderful and loving brother in a close-knit family. He had no children but had many nieces and nephews whom he propelled through the education system, by setting such a great example for them."
A celebrated educator, two years ago, Mr. Dwyer was inducted into the Jamaica Teachers' Association's (JTA) Roll of Honour, becoming the 31st inductee to the roll, which was initiated in 1977, and which is the highest award the JTA confers on teachers. He had taught for more than 40 years. His love for teaching began when he was 11 years old at Mile Gully Elementary School, Manchester, when he was the only student in his class opting for a teaching career.
Despite all the encomiums he has won in the field of education, Mr. Dwyer was also well-known for his work in theatre and the arts. He was once the manager of the Ward Theatre in downtown Kingston.
