GIM mourns loss of founding father
The lord was reunited with one of his favourite sons, Father Romuald D’Souza at 6 am on November 1, at the young age of 94 years.
Fr. Romuald was a teenager at heart (and behind the wheel too). A serial B-school entrepreneur (I won‘t be surprised if he starts a business school for folks in heaven) and a giant risk-taker, he lead a frugal life and always had a spring in his stride.
Born on December 20, 1925 in Aldona, Fr Romuald completed his Masters in Counselling at Fordham University in New York and Columbia University. He was ordained as a priest in Belgium in 1958. He started his journey as an educationist after returning to India as principal of St Vincents High School Pune in 1967.
In his long journey in education, he founded several institutions starting with the Xavier Centre of Historical Research Porvorim in 1978. He then went on to serve as Director of XLRI Jamshedpur from 1982-89, during which he turned around a financially struggling XLRI. He founded Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneshwar in 1987 firmly establishing it as a leading centre for management education in the country in just 5 years. Goa’s beloved son then returned to Goa to set up the Goa Institute of Management (GIM) in 1993 and continued to lead the institute as its founding director till 2004 and continued to be on the governing society of the institute ever since. He went to be a founding father of few institutes after GIM like the Marian Institute of Health Management.
It is difficult to articulate his contribution to education and society, for the institutions he founded and built are in several ways an embodiment of what and who he is. At his 90th birthday celebration at the Goa Institute of Management, laced with his sense of humorous wit, he remarked that the Jesuits were not too fond of him as he spent a lot more time setting up business schools rather than the primary schools they would prefer he set up. For his immense contribution to management education, on January 26, 2010, the Padma Shri was conferred on him.
His spirit of adventure, his inexhaustible energy, his simplicity and his impatience to get ahead of things is what everyone who knows him would miss the most.
Father D'Souza epitomised what the Mahatma once said: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever!” Rest in Peace Father Romuald.
— Ajit Parulekar, Director,
Goa Institute of Management
I’ve known Fr Romuald D’Souza since 1983 and have worked with him right from the XIM days in Bhubaneshwar when he set up the institute and eventually moved to Goa to set up GIM. Founding two business schools which have gone on to become leading B-schools in the country wasn’t easy. But he got it done. I’ve known him closely, both professionally and personally. He’s been a mentor to me in many ways. Fr. Romuald was an extremely strong willed man. He never took no for an answer no matter how big the challenge ahead of him. He will be dearly missed.
— Steve Fernandes, Administrator, Goa Institute of Management
Fr. Romuald D’Souza was a visionary and pioneer in many ways. He set up a management institute at a time there were very few private B-schools in the country. His perseverance is a huge contributing factor to GIM completing 25 successful years of educating future leaders and being among the top private B-schools in the country. Ethics and value –based learning has always been at the core of what GIM stands for ever since the day it was founded 25 years ago by Fr. Romuald.
— Umesh Mahtani, Professor
Goa Institute of Management
A man of exemplary vision, Fr Romuald D'souza was perseverance and grit personified. Action-oriented and driven by the hunger to serve, he was loved by all for his humility, guiding leadership and resolve. Rest in peace Fr D’Souza, you still continue to inspire.” –
— Sydroy Fernandes,
Alumni, GIM Batch of 2017-2019
Fr. Romuald D’Souza was a strong willed, successful yet humble person that everyone admired. From establishing the Xavier’s Centre for historical research to setting up institutions like GIM and XIMB, he will be remembered as a tireless and ageless institution builder who touched the lives of numerous students. May his gentle soul rest in peace.” –
— Shawn Colaco,
student, GIM, Batch of 2019-2021
