Two Mangaloreans dotted the landscape of our school in the 60s and 70s.
One was Ms Theodore.
The other was Ms Thyreum.
The first was surely came from a very British background. The second carried her West Coast roots to this city.
Ms Theodore taught Std.IV and was in that chair for ages, if memory serves me well.
The Brit accent and poise may not have endeared all of us to her. Short, plump and properly attired, she had her very own home in an independent block on the eastern side of the campus ( I guess the other nook was occupied by Ms. Leela?).
A spinster as many teachers were at one time Ms Theodore was a professional, the sought kids like us may not have understood.
I saw many of her kind in some circles back in Mangalore when we used to go 'home' for our annual holds.
It was her prim and proper style that moulded us when it came to English and manners.
Ms Thyreum came to St Anthony's much later and was also a feature at Std.III on the first floor of the south block on campus. Quiet, low profile and very Indian, she too had a long innings at the school.
When her kids, Peter, Michael and Nirmala joined her, the Thyreums, along with Mr Thyreum really made a family with character and colour.
I did not follow Ms Theodore after we passed out of school. She led her life on her terms and passed away.
But the contact with Ms Thyreum has continued because Peter was our classmate. She now lives her evening years in Mangalore, with Nimmi her daughter who teaches at St. Aloysious College.
Mangaloreans that we were, these two were my mom's early friends on campus.
The 50s and 60s must have also been years when a sprinkling of Mangaloreans studied at St. Anthony's. By then this community had moved from San Thome to Kilpauk.
