KUALA LUMPUR: Former New Straits Times newspaper-in-education (NIE) head Mary Joyce Chandapillai, 64 died of renal failure today.
This was confirmed by her brother Mathew Chandapillai, 54 when contacted by the New Straits Times, saying that Mary died peacefully at her family's home in Bangsar Baru, here.
He said Mary, the eldest of four siblings was passionate about her family and English literature which was evident in her outstanding career with the NST.
"She had a long career with NST, culminating as the Head of the Newspaper in Education programme. She is well known to many in the media and journalism industry as she was the key instructor and mentor in many training programmes run by NIE
"After her retirement, she dedicated her time to advising aspiring writers and authored two children's books.
"She loved her siblings and her nieces and nephews dearly as her own and dedicated her life to making them happy," he said.
According to Mathew, the wake will be held at the family residence tomorrow (Oct 16) at 10am with a wake prayer at 8pm followed by the funeral mass held at Our Lady Fatima Church on Tuesday from 11am.
The cortege then leaves for final rites and cremation at DBKL Crematorium
With over 28 years of experience at the NST, Mary spearheaded a range of initiatives in NIE, including NST School Sponsorship, School Holiday Workshops, Young Journalist programme, and introduced weekly supplements in the NST aimed at English teaching and learning.
From the very beginning, the unit worked very closely with the Education Ministry, universities, teacher training colleges and schools.
Among the initiatives led by Mary include the programme's expansion in 2002 with dedicated education supplements published in the NST on selected days, starting with Primary Plus, The Next Step and later followed by Look & Learn. These pages carried English language learning resources for teachers, parents and students.
Later in 2011, School Times was introduced in collaboration with the Education Ministry and distributed to 500 sponsored rural and semi-urban schools nationwide.
Former NST Education editor Hazlina Aziz described Mary as someone with unwavering dedication and high standards.
"While her strict approach challenged us, it also pushed us to excel beyond our limits.
"For me, in her commitment to excellence, it became a cornerstone of my professional growth.
"To those who have worked with her, I am sure the lessons we learned under her guidance have become an enduring part of our careers and lives," she told the NST.