FORMER headmaster of the Bina Hill Institute Victor Ferreira has passed on after a battle with cancer.

The 69-year-old, who was diagnosed with colorectal cancer last year, succumbed Wednesday morning at his Moruca home after prolonged sickness due to the disease.
Ferreira served for the last six years as headmaster of the Annai, Region Nine institute and is well known in his home community.

He started his career in 1966 and taught for several decades in the North West District. Ferreira also served for almost two decades at the Kamwatta Primary school while after college, he spent a considerable amount of time at the Santa Rosa Primary.

Sir Vic, as he was known to his students, is also partially responsible for development of the secondary school programme in Santa Rosa, which started in 1991. Ferreira was then appointed headmaster of the Kamarang Primary School (1998); there he also helped with the groundwork for establishment of the Waramadong Secondary School.
The father of seven then returned to Santa Rosa, where he worked at the secondary school until 2004.

Ferreira produced a large number of graduates from Bina Hill before his retirement in June, and fittingly when news of his death reached the institute, the flag was flown at half-staff while a tribute was held in his honour.

Many in his family were preparing for his death, since his condition had deteriorated over the last few weeks. One of his daughters, Nadia De Abreu, said that last Tuesday she asked him to wait just one more week in a plea to prolong his life.

“I asked him for at least one more week last Tuesday; my small sister said he told at least two visitors that he was going to die at 02:00hrs on Wednesday, because I asked him for one more week.”

Ferreira passed away at 01:40hrs after calling his wife of 42 years to tell her that he was leaving.

According to De Abreu, her father served with distinction all his life.
“I think everyone in Moruca had so much respect for him. He gave selflessly to all of his students wherever we went; he also spent long hours planning and putting systems in place for greater efficiencies wherever he worked and I think that is something I took from him.”

Ferreira was more than just a Moruca teacher. In 2011, he was awarded the Medal of Service for his long, dedicated and outstanding service to Guyana.
The dedicated Catholic leaves to mourn his six children–one of whom became a teacher– his wife, several grandchildren and generations of former students who passed through his hands.