Former Educator Graydon Sealy Remembered for Transformative Impact on Students' Lives

A day before former educator Graydon Sealy receives a final farewell, family, former colleagues, and students took one last moment to gaze in admiration at the man they credited with transforming their lives.

Scores packed the Mannie Bowen Auditorium at the Graydon Sealy Secondary School chatting away as they reflected on the memories of the first principal who led what was then known as the Garrison Secondary School.

Sealy, 94, passed away on December 18, last year.

Harold Ruck, a teacher who worked under Sealy from 1975, said the former principal was very pleasant to work with and always made sure everyone performed at their best.

He added that Sealy would best be remembered for creating a space for students who were unlikely to make it to secondary school.

“I think Sealy will be remembered first and foremost for the students who were here from inception. They all made meaningful contributions to the school and society. The reason why we look so much at his contribution is that these are students that would not have gone to a secondary school if they had not received a place at Garrison Secondary School,” Ruck said.

Former student Dale Lashley was among those early students. He told reporters that Sealy facilitated the movement of quite a few children from St John into the Paddock Road, St Michael school and gave them an opportunity to learn and excel.

“A lot of people who were lost, they were found through Mr Sealy. People after so many years speak about Mr Sealy with such admiration and passion because he basically saved a lot of us coming out of the countryside, like I did, where there weren’t many opportunities for secondary education. This school did a lot for so many people and Mr Sealy was central to all of that,” he said.

Lolita Sealy reflected on entering the Garrison Secondary School as one of the first students in 1975.

While noting that the principal was a strict disciplinarian who insisted on respect and hard work, she was especially thankful that he introduced various activities to ensure students were well-rounded, including the Inter-School Christian Fellowship and the debating club. But it was his personal touch as an educator that left a lasting impression on her.

“Even when you were grown and gone from the school, he still remembered you. He still called at Christmas and occasions like that. So, he was a person who cared for his students and always looked after the well-being of his students. Thank God for Mr Sealy. May he rest in peace, he has done his work.”

Andrea Estwick, declaring herself a proud Garrisonian who entered the school in 1988/89, shared that Sealy only served for one year after her arrival but his impact on the school and students, especially those who often found themselves in trouble, was remarkable.

“He was one of the best principals the Garrison school has ever had, and what was amazing is how he addressed the ladies, as Ma’am; how he dealt with deviant students – instead of giving them the wrath and punishing them, he made them leaders. He took children who were rambunctious and disruptive, so they understood that you were special, that you were not here just to come to school to learn, but to grow,” she said.

“Our motto is ‘promoting all aspects of our growth’ and here at Graydon Sealy, I can tell you that foundation was laid here, where all aspects of our growth are promoted. Be it drama, dance, academics, [or] sports, we made a mark and we are thankful for the life of Graydon Sealy.”

Sealy, who leaves to mourn his daughters Ruth Sealy-Jackson and Paula Bradshaw, other relatives and countless students, will be celebrated at a funeral service at the Abundant Life Assembly on Wednesday.

(SD)