Johannesburg – South Africans are mourning the passing of 85-year-old William Smith, the retired maths and science teacher, whose easy-to-understand lessons on television assisted countless students to pass their exams.
Earlier on Wednesday, his daughter Jessica Smith (Penfold) announced the passing of the maths and science guru.
“It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of William Smith who left us peacefully today at home in Perth, Australia, surrounded by family,” said Jessica.
“William was recently diagnosed with advanced, incurable cancer.
“He faced his final moments with grace, expressing contentment in his accomplishments and the impact he made in the fields of education and conservation.”
The announcement prompted an outpouring of sympathies and condolences from South Africans who remember the television lessons on SABC 2 in the 1990s called the “Learning Channel”.
“His legacy will endure through the lives he touched and the difference he made,” said Jessica.
“William will be profoundly missed by his family, friends, and all who knew him.”
Smith ran his first multi-racial school in the 1970s, despite problems with the apartheid authorities.
During apartheid education facilities were segregated under legislation such as the Bantu Education Act.
On 25 April 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa awarded Smith the National Baobab order for his contribution to teaching through television in a ground-breaking TV programme.
