John Bligh
- Teacher
- Bronx Engineering and Technology Academy
Darshanand D. Ramdas took a pay cut in 1997 when he left his job as an airline mechanic to become a teacher at the Bronx Engineering and Technology Academy.
He did so for personal reasons and never regretted it.
“He wanted to be closer to family, and with American Airlines you were constantly traveling as an airline mechanic,” explained Gabe Bennett, who became a close friend of Darshanand during their 23 years teaching at the school on the John F. Kennedy High School Campus. “He traded money for family.”
And, Bennett added, “He also wanted to serve children in New York City,” where Darshanand settled when he emigrated from Guyana.
The transition, according to Darshanand’s wife, Jean, “wasn’t hard, because his father was a teacher. That was his dream.”
Darshanand died of COVID-19 on Aug. 23, 2021. He was 57.
He had fulfilled his dream, teaching math and engineering, and his success was especially evident when numerous colleagues and hundreds of students going back more than a dozen years attended his funeral service and then a memorial in the summer of 2022, said teacher Yvonne Reasen, his former colleague and chapter leader.
Reasen praised Darshanand for creating the school’s robotics team and for “his smart sense of humor and the father figure he was to many, both staff and students.” In the school’s Enchanted Garden, she said, “There is a bench and plaque dedicated to him.”
One former student, Mariah Ortiz, paid tribute to Darshanand online, writing, “He was a great man, an awesome teacher and genuinely someone who cared for our futures.”
Darshanand spent his last year of teaching — mostly remotely because of the pandemic — at IS 224 in the Bronx. His illness forced him to leave in January 2021.
Bennett said Darshanand was able to connect with his students no matter what his role. “He was a very patient person when it came to students, and very caring.” he said.
Bennett, who taught social studies, bonded instantly with Darshanand because “we had the same background, from the same country” and they shared a mutual interest in renewable energy sources. “We were looking at: How do you power the world without using fossil fuels?” Bennett said. “We were looking into solar [power] as a way to provide cleaner, cheaper energy.”
In addition to his wife, Jean, Darshanand is survived by two daughters, Melissa and Elizabeth.
This tribute is on point and captures the true character of Darshanand. He was a model of gentleman husband and father. His presence is greatly missed.