Brother Lee

Brother Lee was one of our favourite teachers at Aberdeen Technical School.  I learned geometry, technical drawing, woodworking, silk screen painting, and a lot more from him.  Above all, perhaps, is the use of our hands to make objects of beauty.  

Every year at Christmas, he would set up a huge nativity scene on the stage of the school hall.  One year he used sandpaper to make a cave big enough to fit several people in.  In front of the cave was a rectangular fountain running along the complete front edge of the stage, with real water jets gushing 3 feet high, and flashing coloured lighting. I remember helping with the set up but I cannot remember what I actually did. 

I do remember making patterns for silk screens that he taught us to make.  And then screening the patterns on the white t-shirts of our classmates.  I wish I had saved some of the t-shirts.  

Later on my skills in making technical drawings got me a job preparing graphs for publication for professors at university - which helped me to pay my way through university.  In graduate schools, my geometry skills helped me research in computer-aided design and manufacturing.  

Even now, my woodworking skills helped me make these, out of palm leaves. 

His life touched so many people. 400 came out to celebrate his 80th birthday last evening, including Bishop Chan.  

My work in service-learning is due largely to my education from Brother Lee and the others from the Don Bosco gang, the Salesians.