The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FREEPORT Primary School was left in a state of shock this week after the sudden passing of a beloved teacher who made a lasting impact on teachers and students in the short period of time he was at the institution.

Delton Tanis, a science teacher, and a former principal in Cat Island, is believed to have suffered a massive heart attack on Wednesday morning. He was taken to Rand Memorial Hospital, where he later died.

Teachers and students were devastated on learning the news. When The Tribune visited the school yesterday, a black bow and a photo of Tanis was placed on the school gate where he sat and waited every day after school until parents picked up their children.

"He went above and beyond his duties as a teacher," Remelda Bain, school vice-principal, said. "We lost a gem this week, and we all are taking the loss very hard."

A school psychologist and a guidance counsellor were on campus on Wednesday to speak with grieving students and teachers to help cope with their loss.

Tanis was in his second of year teaching at Freeport Primary. In addition to teaching science for grades five and six, he was also a senior assistant who assisted in the administrative duties at the school.

Ms Bain said that the last time she saw and spoke with Tanis was on Tuesday.

"I left around 4.15pm to go to a meeting at St George's High, and he was getting ready to leave also, and I told him that I would see him tomorrow. But I never got to see him, and that was the last time I spoke with him," she recalled.

Ms Bain got to school around 7.45am on Wednesday and received a call around 8.55am that Tanis was in hospital.

"I was told he was very low, and that if I wanted to see him I needed to come now. I contacted the senior mistress and left for the hospital, but when I got there I found that he had already passed," she said.

"He was a loving teacher, he went above and beyond his duty in terms of the ministry of teaching," Ms Bain said. "He took his job seriously; he cared for our children and sat with them every day outside by the gate as their parents picked them up, and so he knew a lot of the students by name.

"He was also very helpful in yard duty and he was someone I could depend on. When I went out in the yard break and lunch time he was out there with me.

According to Ms Bain, Tanis displayed an excellent work ethic, and there were improvements in science grade results.

"We got really good results last year because he worked so well with grade six students and so we this year added grade five, and he also assisted us as an administrative assistant - he was literally that good," she said.

Ms Bain said Tanis helped a lot on campus during the summer assisting the principal in getting the school ready.

"He spent a whole lot of time on campus with my principal getting the school ready. He was here all summer, and I think (the principal) had to force him to go and take a vacation, but he was that kind of person."

Prior to relocating to Grand Bahama, Tanis was a school principal in Cat Island. Because of his experience, Ms Bain said that he was very good in performing his administrative duties.

He was also someone that fellow teachers could talk to for advice.

"If you came to work upset he could calm you down. And he was the person the female teachers felt more connected to and would talk to him. He was really a gem, and this is really a loss for all us. I cried my heart out when I found out he passed, and the children also cried and took it really hard."

Ms Bain said that she had the difficult task of breaking the sad news to everyone at school.

"When I came back from the hospital I told the teachers first, and I realised that they were really devastated. I then called an assembly and I told the students that Mr Tanis he went home to be with the Lord. A lot of them knew what I meant, but some of them didn't understand."

The teacher's death took the school by surprise because there was never any sign that he was ill.

"There were not really any signs, and he was the kind of person if he was tired or sick he would say something. He was tired the day before at the end of the day, but we are all normally tired at the end of the day," Ms Bain said.

She said that some teachers are having a really difficult time. "Two teachers did not come out today and that is because they took his death really hard. Most teachers, and I, did not sleep last night."

Ms Bain said that they are keeping Tanis' family, especially his wife, in their prayers.

"We want to give her some time time to grieve, but the teachers really want to see her and give her their support because he was well-loved at this school in the short time he was here," she said.