Former John’s Folly teacher and long-time island educator Melville Samuel will be returning to one of his former schools to be honored at the annual meeting of the John’s Folly Learning Institute on April 18 at noon.
Samuel began his teaching career at the East End School in the early 1950s, according to his daughter Greta. After a year at East End School, Samuel taught at the Horace Mann School in John’s Folly, which is now JFLI, before transferring to the then-expanding Julius E. Sprauve School in Cruz Bay.
Samuel’s daughter Greta subsequently became a teacher as well and taught at JESS for 18 years before she changed careers and moved into the travel industry with Delta Airlines.
“His religion is the driving force in my father’s life,” Greta said. “My father is the type of person who will never say no. My parents became Christians and it really is his life.”
Melville and his wife Mercedes will celebrate their 62nd wedding anniversary in August.
