Joseph Carlos Faria

This page commemorates the life of Joseph Faria.

Joseph was the first born of Ligia and Albert Faria and was welcomed into the world on 15th January 1936 in Mombasa, Kenya. Joe began life as a very affable if shy youngster. At school, tertiary and in the workforce, the ease with which he interacted with people, his love of banter and his genuine appreciation of humankind made him much sought after company.

He qualified as a primary school teacher, endearing himself to his students. He also excelled on the sports field, particularly in athletics, where he reached heights of international competition when he represented Kenya in the 4x100 relay at the Commonwealth Games. He showed himself to be a great team player as well as someone who could pursue the winner's crown in individual sport, excelling in table tennis and hockey, winning for himself accolades and his team several trophies.

In 1966, two momentous decisions were made simultaneously. He had just met the love of his life, Auxilia, and he was preparing to leave Kenya for London. They were later to marry in 1968; an event at which most of the family was able to celebrate. He had left Kenya for the UK in 1966, ostensibly to pursue a legal career in the course of which he discovered that he was still attracted to teaching. He pursued studies in mathematics and education, which enabled him to work at secondary level. Over the years, his fame as a maths teacher made him sought after by students at various levels of the education spectrum, even those aspiring to enter university and in need of mathematical coaching. He taught for more than 30 years at Wimbledon Chase School and for much of his tenure was Head of Mathematics there. Such was his popularity as a mathematics teacher, that he was persuaded by the board to continue teaching after his official retirement at the age of 65, until he was 80.

Joe loved jazz. He would have loved to play in a band and always found the keyboard irresistible. His lifelong friends shared many of his interests, which meant that he was never short of friends.

When, in 1969, his first child Carla was born, followed by Melanie in 1972, Joe was a contented family man and like all family men, was balancing family, career and life in his own inimitable way. The marriages of his two daughters to Michael Dohan and Peter Conway respectively and subsequent births of his grandchildren, Felix, Isabella and Amelie were key milestones in the family's history. Family occasions such as the marriages of a niece and nephew and a sister meant happy reunions with family members and travel to Sri Lanka and Australia respectively. The realities of life hit him squarely in the face when his younger daughter, Melanie, was diagnosed with breast cancer and succumbed to the disease in 2011.

Joe was struck down with heart problems in August, passing away when under sedation after an angioplasty procedure on the night of 10th September. Sadly, the cruelty of the prohibitions imposed by Covid 19 meant that no one could visit Joe while he was in hospital and he passed away without the comfort of his loved ones around him. Thankfully, he enjoyed a long video call with Auxilia, Carla, Michael and his granddaughters the day before he passed. He was laughing and joking with them, teasing the children and exchanging endearments with Auxilia.

Joe leaves behind his family, his siblings Angelo in the US and his son Kevin, Melba and her husband Chris in Sri Lanka and their chldren Romeish and Roshanara and Yvette and her husband Howard in Australia.