Lorraine Williamson
In the quiet mountain town of Sant Hilari Sacalm, a Catalan tailor education legacy has transformed the lives of local students. When Antoni Rossell Terris passed away in January 2025 at the age of 87, few could have imagined the scale of the gift he was about to leave behind.
Born in 1937 during Spain’s turbulent post-civil war era, Rossell’s early life was shaped by hardship. Formal education was a privilege he could never afford. By twelve, he had left school behind and begun work as an apprentice tailor. Over time, he built a reputation for precision and integrity, eventually running his own workshop in Arenys de Mar on the Catalan coast.
Though he never married or had children, Rossell remained closely connected to his roots. After retiring, he returned to his hometown and lived out his final years with quiet dignity and an enduring affection for his community. According to his niece Judit, he was “warm, fair and deeply committed to Catalan culture.”
A legacy of learning, not luxury
What he lacked in academic opportunity, Rossell more than made up for in generosity. Upon his death, it emerged that he had left his entire estate — including his savings, home, and belongings — to the local secondary school, Institut Anton Busquets i Punset.
His gift, now known as the Becas Terris (Terris Scholarships), will fund four annual student awards of €5,000 each — a remarkable €20,000 per year. One scholarship will go to the top-performing bachillerato student, while the other three will reward excellence in Catalan, reflecting Rossell’s love for the regional language and his belief in its cultural significance.
The only stipulation: recipients must use the funding to continue their studies, whether at university or in vocational training.
Community uplifted by rare act of generosity
The announcement, made at the school’s end-of-year ceremony, brought many in the audience to tears. For Glòria Donadeu, a Catalan teacher at the school, the gesture was “a powerful reminder of what one person’s kindness can do.” Local mayor Jordi Rotllan described it as “an act of immense civic value.”
Until now, the school offered just one modest grant — a €500 award named after a former student. Rossell’s posthumous donation has changed everything, enabling real investment in the futures of young people from a region often overlooked in national conversations about opportunity.
Closing the gap between dreams and reality
Despite never gaining formal qualifications himself, Rossell was no stranger to intellectual life. He loved writing, took part in amateur theatre, and cherished the Catalan language. Yet the absence of education always lingered — a silent regret that fuelled his final, most generous act.
Speaking on Catalunya Ràdio, his niece Judit reflected: “He couldn’t change the past for himself, but he could change the future for others. That’s what this is all about.”
Rossell may have led a life away from the spotlight, but in death, his name now stands as a beacon for those striving to learn, grow, and build a better future. A tailor by trade, he has stitched a new path for generations to come — one lined not with fabric, but with opportunity.
Giving back what he missed
In a world where education is too often dictated by postcode or privilege, Antoni Rossell’s story stands as a poignant reminder of how one person’s lived experience can shape the hopes of many. His quiet generosity has transformed a small village school into a launchpad for ambition — proof that sometimes, the most powerful legacies are born not from wealth, but from empathy.