Charles Francis Winans

WINANS Charles Francis. Died Tuesday, April 19th at NYU Medical Center at the age of 85. Born New Year's Eve, 1919, of Irish and Belgian descent, ``Charley'' knew no bounds of nationality, race or creed. English teacher extraordinaire, drama coach, master of the A.P. exam, bon vivant, fearless advocate for the poor, champion of the American Indian, forgiving foe of Philistines everywhere and ``the most fully realized Christian I have ever known,'' according to a prominent friend and colleague quoted last year. Associated as a lay instructor with the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) for half a century, he was the Jesuits' ``Mr. Chips'' and, along with the late Rev. Jack Farrand, S.J., almost single-handedly transformed Brooklyn Preparatory School from a 1950's jock redoubt to a creditable institution of learning in the 60's. Marched with the Rev. King, Jr., in Selma, Alabama and elsewhere in the Deep South in the summers of 1964-1965. Tried valiantly with Fr. Farrand to save Brooklyn Prep from extinction in 1972. Friend and co-worker of Mother Teresa at her AIDS Hospice in Greenwich Village for more than a decade of his retirement. He would have chuckled at the notion of dying on the first day of the papacy of Benedict XVI, his doctrinal adversary. Among his favorite ``reads'': Yeats' ``Wild Swans at Coole'' and Joyce's ``The Dead''. Your heart has not grown old, dear mentor, even while snow falls on ``all the living and all the dead.'' Let's clink glasses in the next life's ``Casa Laredo''. ``How do you like your blue-eyed boy, Mr. Death?'' Good-bye for now, old friend. John M. McGowan Brooklyn Prep, Class of 1969