Obituaries:

Obituaries:

Milton McCann MBE.

We have had
the sad news that Milton McCann MBE has passed away in Calcutta,West Bengal,
India. We have been told that he fell down in the early hours of Sunday 18th
September, 2011 in the bathroom; he later became unconscious and passed away. He
had been suffering from high blood pressure for a number of years.

Born in Rangoon,
Burma, 29th September 1931, Milton was a Martinian
having joined the Lucknow Martiniere in 1946 in Standard Eight and continued
through to the end of 1948, finishing off with the Senior Cambridge examination.
Both Richard Temple and I were in the same classes and dormitories as Milton,
whom we knew well.

After leaving school he
joined the steel firm of Jessops in West  Bengal , however his desire to serve
the poor whom  he daily saw, touched his heart and he resigned a promising
career with Jessops to have more time to help the needy . He set up classes
under tree cover which he himself taught at, from dawn to dusk . It was one of
these classes that came to the notice of the High Commissioner of Canada who
stopped by.  He was touched and provided funds for Milton to buy land and set up
a school  which Milton operated from a tin shed.  This was the start of Milton’s
work for the poor,  to which he devoted his entire life.

His enthusiasm for his
work  in the slum areas of Bengal soon came to the notice of the public to whom
he appealed for help. The sick and poor flocked to him for help, which he
wholeheartedly gave.    He came to be known by the poor as the "Father Teresa of
Calcutta".

He had support from
prominent business men in India as well as from well wishers  overseas. This
helped him  and he went about setting up hospitals and schools in Bengal for the
poor. His work came to the attention of the British High Commission who brought
his work to the attention of her Majesty the Queen, by whom he was awarded the
MBE.

In later years he had the
honour of meeting Princess Diana and on another occasion John Major, who had
learned of the good work he was performing for the poor.

Milton has made sure that
the work of helping the poor will continue through the effort of his two adopted
sons who serve in the hospitals provided for the poor. The older boy has taken
over the running  of The Usthi  Foundation India.

Trevor Lee, Editor.

d

Charitable work provided by
doctors who do not charge for their services. .

Milton, front
row, meets John Major.and below,

meets Princess Diana.