MATT received this remembrance of Joel Nanton from the faculty of the COSTATT Ken Gordon School of Journalism, where Mr Nanton worked for the last fifteen years. Photographs of Mr Nanton were supplied by the journalism school.

Joel supported us throughout his final days.

As always, he was the calming presence in the room, assuring us that he would be okay. He would tease us, in fact, and make us laugh if the mood sank too low.

Joel’s faith was unflinching, and he treated the best possible outcome as a given.

It’s that gentle strength that we will miss most. But even as we grieve him, we all feel deeply grateful that he touched our lives.

Joel Nanton passed on as the Chair of Journalism and Media at COSTAATT’s Ken Gordon School of Journalism and Communication Studies.

He was a pioneer lecturer in the school, and used his experience as a reporter and editor to help develop its curriculum.

Joel Nanton

As an educator, he remained a journalist. It was in his blood. Like the best editors, he shared tales of his time at the Guardian and the Express to enlighten, to inspire, and sometimes to simply amuse his students.

Those stories became a hallmark of his classes. In his office, though, Joel was deeply mindful of our school’s responsibility to journalism in this country.

He believed that the partnerships he forged between COSTAATT and media organisations would be mutually beneficial, and he worked unceasingly to maintain the Ken Gordon School’s status as a fixture in the industry.

He saw every seminar, workshop, and internship as a service to both our students and the profession.

Joel’s passion, determination, and humility inspired us all, colleagues and students alike, to give our best. He will be missed, but he made his mark, and his work will continue to shape journalism in Trinidad & Tobago for the better.