Longtime teacher dies

ANDERSON, SC — As a teacher, John Berry Faile demanded respect from his chemistry and physics students by challenging them to succeed.

In so doing, he earned the respect of his peers.

The former T.L. Hanna High School teacher died Wednesday morning at Greenville Memorial Hospital from injuries sustained in a fall at his home in Easley.

He was 71.

Born in Lancaster, S.C., Mr. Faile was a son of the late Jether and Ethel Cauthen Faile. A 1954 Lancaster High School graduate, Mr. Faile later earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of South Carolina and master’s degree in education from Clemson University. He retired from T.L. Hanna in 1996.

According to colleagues, Mr. Faile was a one-of-a-kind educator who was able to encourage the most out of his students.

“He was a wonderful teacher,” said Mike Sams, principal at Hanna. “He was extremely intelligent. He was one of the best chemistry teachers I’ve probably ever seen.”

While Mr. Faile could be a taskmaster inside the classroom, he had an easygoing personality, Mr. Sams said.

“He was a teacher that really believed in high standards and he brought kids up to that standard,” he said. “He made kids feel successful. He had a lot of gifts.”

And he was also reliable.

Mr. Sams said he doesn’t remember Mr. Faile ever missing a day of work.

“He always did his job and was very professional,” he said.

Fellow teacher Patricia Price said she respected Mr. Faile for the way he conducted himself around his students.

“He was a tough teacher but when they had him and went off to college, they thought he just hung the moon he prepared them so well,” she said. “We’re talking about an educator here and that should be put in capital letters. He was just a terrific, terrific teacher.”

Although he could be demanding, Mr. Faile also was fair, Ms. Price said.

“He gave them the possibility that if they wanted to pass, they could pass,” he said.

When he wasn’t in the classroom, Mr. Faile enjoyed traveling and listening to classical music, Ms. Price said. Over the years, Mr. Faile made trips to London, Ireland, England and France.

“He went to New York to listen to operas. He was your Renaissance guy,” she said.

As a person, Mr. Faile was concerned about the needs of others, said Arnold Howell, a former T.L. Hanna teacher.

“He was concerned but at the same time strong as far as discipline,” he said. “I think part of that is because he cared so much for them.”

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