OBITUARY: D. R. DANIEL – Nov 8, 1922 – May 3, 2009.

Educator who inspired

many young men

D. R. DANIEL, “D.R”, as he was affectionately known, has passed away in Kuala Lumpur after a short illness at the age of 86, leaving his wife, Doris, his sons and two daughters, his brother and sister to mourn his loss.

His late step father, the Rev S.S. Pakianathan, was a pioneer Methodist missionary to the people of Medan where he established the Methodist Church. His other sister, Mrs S.A. Daniel, was Principal of Geylang Methodist Girls’ School, for many years, and was active in the Singapore WSCS until she passed away in May 1995.

Educated in India, then in ACS Singapore and the MBS Kuala Lumpur, D.R. joined Raffles College in 1941, graduating with Diploma in Arts in 1945 (after a break due to the war) and joined the Malayan Education Service as a Graduate teacher with ACS Ipoh.

He was active in Methodist Youth work, and organised the first post-war MYF Institute. Following this he was active in the activities of the Malayan Youth Council. 

In 1958, he was appointed Principal of ACS Klang where he spent 24 years demonstrating a capacity to inspire and develop young men through the tenets of the Christian faith. He was appointed Education Secretary for Methodist Schools and served full-time after he retired from the Malaysian Education Service in 1982. In this, he was following in the footsteps of the Rev Ralph Kesselring, Dr Thio Chan Bee and the Rev Dr Ho Seng Ong.

That he played an active and formative role in the evolution of The Methodist Church in Singapore and Malaysia needs mentioning. In 1964, he worked with then Rev T.R. Doraisamy and others to spearhead the movement to establish the Tamil Provisional Annual Conference in 1968, the forerunner of the present Tamil Annual Conferences in Singapore and Malaysia, and served as Lay Leader for many years.

Picture:

D. R. DANIEL:

Active in Methodist

Youth and Church

work. – Methodist

Church Archives picture.