42 minute read
I Want My Students to be Alarmed
But marine geologist Pam REID’68 sees hope on the climate front
By Janet Sailian Photo by Jack Fell
Global warming is no abstraction to Pam Reid. Th e marine geologist at the University of Miami only has to survey the nearby coastline aft er a king tide, or look out at streets fl ooded aft er heavy rains, to see evidence of sea-level rise and worsening storms caused by rapid climate change. And she is urgently trying to reach younger generations with a warning of imminent catastrophe if we, collectively, fail to take action very soon.
Pam teaches environmental oceanography with an emphasis on “Carbon Dioxide, the Oceans and You” for non-science majors. “I want my students to be alarmed, to talk about the problem and understand that the planet is in jeopardy,” she says. “As a class project they each have to write a newsletter aimed at a student organization, their neighbours or another peer group, describing climate problems and proposing solutions.”
Th e good news, according to Pam, is that although we are likely in the beginning of the sixth mass extinction planet Earth has experienced, it’s not too late to turn this massive ship around.
“A lot of people like me believed it was ‘game over’ in terms of cutting carbon emissions, but then I read Drawdown: Th e Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming, edited by American environmentalist Paul Hawken and colleagues, and it gave me hope,” she says.
Th e book emerged from Project Drawdown, a non-profi t organization founded in 2014 to provide a blueprint for what can be done around the world to reverse global warming. “Drawdown contains a clear road map, not only for slowing carbon emissions, but for reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” Pam notes. “Eighty of the 100 science-based solutions proposed could be implemented today.”
According to Pam, high carbon dioxide levels resulting from massive volcanic eruptions millions of years ago were a likely cause of several global mass extinctions. Today, 97 per cent of climate scientists agree that skyrocketing levels of carbon dioxide are a result of human actions and are causing our current accelerating climate change. Th ose activities include reliance on fossil fuels, industrial farming, use of plastics and rampant food waste.
“Carbon dioxide is just one of the serious greenhouse gases—methane is another—that are accelerating climate change,” she says. Th e results are not only a warming cli-
Pam prepares to collect measurements of stromatolites off the beach at Little Darby Island, Exuma Cays, Bahamas, in June 2019.
mate and rising sea levels, but also acidifi cation of the oceans. If this continues, “by the end of this century, the phytoplankton, reefs and oyster shells won’t be able to calcify. Th ey will disintegrate.”
Potential solutions include adopting alternative sources of power such as water and solar, novel transportation methods, green roofs, retrofi ts to older buildings and more effi cient methods of agriculture.
Equally important, says Pam: “Educating girls and women is another ready-to-go solution. If you don’t have education or social justice, you can’t have sustainability.”
With her overseas research projects on hold due to the pandemic, Pam is focused on persuading the next generation that climate change can’t wait. “We need artists, business people, fi lmmakers, and writers to embrace a cause and use whatever talent they have to communicate about climate issues,” she says.
“I’m hopeful that human civilization won’t meet its demise, but we don’t have much time. We don’t have another fi ve years to do nothing.” R
AlumLife
MEET YOUR NEW PRESIDENT…
Melanie ARGIROS Breder’08 takes the reins from Karen CORDES Woods’99
Melanie ARGIROS Breder’08
President Melanie is a human resources manager with the Ontario Municipal Employees’ Retirement System (OMERS). She holds a BA from Queen’s University and an MA in human resources from the University of Toronto. Melanie attended Branksome from Grades 1 to 12 and joined the Alumnae Executive in 2017. In a recent #BHAdvice2020 Twitter campaign, Melanie off ered: “Live smart, not scared! My sister shared this motto for uncertain times. I’ve built up my endurance to run a 10k and taught my dog Archie some new tricks!” Melanie will represent the Alumnae Association on the Branksome Hall Board of Governors.
Karen CORDES Woods’99
Past President Since 2014, Karen has been a member of the Alumnae Executive committee, serving fi rst as Vice-President, then taking on the role of President in 2017. Over the years, Karen has guided the executive through strategic ways to think outside the box and drive alum engagement. One such vision is the now popular Alum Family Fun Day, which has been a much-loved event since 2016. We are delighted Karen will continue on the Executive in the capacity of Past President and will continue to serve on the Branksome Hall Board of Governors.
… AND YOUR NEW EXECUTIVE
These women will help lead the Alumnae Association
Jacqueline CARL’10 is a digital product owner, Business Financial Services, at RBC. Hannah LO’05 is an associate dentist in Toronto.
Caroline Thadaney Advancement Student Rep Senior School Caroline has been at Branksome Hall since Senior Kindergarten. She is a peer tutor and a coxswain on the Branksome rowing team. With a strong passion for physics, Caroline serves as the head of the Robotics Club and the STEM council. She plans to apply to study engineering at university.
Lisa RICHARDS’02 is self-employed as publicist & founder at Lisa Simone Richards. Lindsay STANSMAN’08 is the creative director at SALT XC.
Mackenzie Calhoun Advancement Student Rep Junior School Mackenzie has been at Branksome since Grade 7. Outside of school, she works as a lifeguard and swim instructor at a private pool. Mackenzie enjoys playing tennis and golf, and cooking with her mom. Thinking ahead to university, she will be looking into science-oriented programs.
WITH HEARTFELT THANKS
At the Alumnae Executive year-end meeting on June 9, and at the Alumnae Annual General Meeting on Sept. 15, outgoing President Karen CORDES Woods’99 thanked two retiring members for their contributions and service to the Alumnae Association.
Barbara DUNLOP Mohammad’70
Member at Large 2008–20; Secretary (2010–13) Committees Plaid Tidings, Reunion Rep, Alum Awards (throughout the years) Other voluntarism Alum Shop, Puttin’ on the Plaid, ACE volunteer (throughout the years)
Dana POSTROZNY Mitchell’99
Member at Large 2017–20
ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION MISSION STATEMENT
To unite, engage and grow Branksome Hall’s alumnae community of globally minded learners and leaders.
ALUMNAE EXECUTIVE 2020–21
Allison ROACH’51 Honorary President
Offi cers
Melanie ARGIROS Breder’08
President Alexandra MORTON’09 Engagement Lisa RICHARDS’02 Communications Sarita SAMAROO’99 Nominating Catlin SEIBEL-KAMEL’10 Awards Nicole THORNBURROW’10 Secretary Hubie YU’08 Treasurer
Members at Large
Jacqueline CARL’10 Karen CORDES Woods’99 Past President Mackenzie KNOWLES’11 Tori LECHNER-SUNG’12 Hannah LO’05 Lindsay STRANSMAN’08 Patricia SU’13
Chair, Young Alums Alanna TEDESCO McLaughlin’03
Ex-Offi cio
Cris Coraggio Karen Jurjevich Andrea McAnally Tanya Pimenoff Jennifer Williams Mackenzie Calhoun, Caroline Thadaney Advancement Student Reps
Stay Connected, Get Involved
The Branksome Hall Alumnae Program
It’s all about Community, Networking, Volunteerism, Friendship, Traditions and Giving Back
branksome.on.ca/alumnae
Please contact: Tanya Pimenoff , Associate Director of Alumnae Relations tpimenoff @branksome.on.ca 416-920-6265, ext. 285
ON-CAMPUS REUNIONS
A waiting game, so stay tuned
REUNION 2020 Last May, alumnae (from the class years ending in 0 and 5) took the news of a cancelled on-campus event with understandable resignation. However, with a bit of innovation and positivity and with contributions from 24 reunion reps, a special and fun video was broadcast on Saturday, May 30—the day the school would have hosted the alumnae dinner. In it, virtual greetings were delivered by Karen CORDES Woods’99, Principal Karen Jurjevich and Deputy Principal Karrie Weinstock. And, this year’s alum award recipients, Carol SZETO’90 and Kelly GAUTHIER’97, were further recognized for their enduring work to make our world a better place (see p. 36-37). as members of a strong
REUNION 2021 Th ough plans remain uncertain for on-campus events next spring, the classes recognized in true Branksome fashion. As soon as we know the plans, we will share them. In the meantime, reunion reps will be needed. If you wish to volunteer, please send an email to alumnae@ branksome.on.ca, or call 416-920-6265, ext. 285.
Due to the postponement of Reunion 2020, reunion year alums received a special spring mailing— paper fl ower seeds enclosed in a congratulatory card. This symbolic messaging reinforced our common ground ending in 1 and 6 will still be honoured and
Branksome community, and the hope of sunnier days to come. Here, Branksome student Reese Gordon, great-granddaughter of Joan MacPHERSON Gordon’40, holds Joan’s plant with signs of early growth. We were sad to learn that Joan died at the age of 98 on July 16 (see p. 47).
FOR KIDS AND KIDS AT HEART
#BHFamilyFunDay (COVID-style)
We couldn’t get together in person, but we still continued the tradition. Social media lit up with photos aft er past visitors to this popular annual event (traditionally held in early November) received “I Love BH” tattoos through the mail. For all the kids and kids at heart—thanks for celebrating, virtually, with us!
UNIVERSITY PREP 101
Guidance workshops link students to alums
Last spring, Grade 11s participated in several Zoom sessions where panels were organized by region. Seen here, along with members of the Guidance department, is the Canadian panel with participants Emily ASH CUTAJAR’19, Mimi MANN’16, Ginny MATHESON’19, Maggie DOBBIN’19 and Abarnaa ILLANGO’19.
AlumLife WINNINGWOMEN The Alumnae Association has bestowed its prestigious annual awards on two high achievers
Protecting the Children
2020 Allison Roach Alumna Award: Carol SZETO’90
By Nora Underwood
In one way, at least, life has gone full circle for Carol Szeto. Aft er 30 years of living and travelling all over the world, she has returned home as CEO of Save the Children Hong Kong—the culmination of years of experience ensuring that the most vulnerable children have a chance to thrive. “I think she makes Branksome Hall proud,” says her sister Jacqueline SZETO-Meiers’87, who nominated Carol for the 2020 Allison Roach Alumna Award. “She’s making a diff erence in the world.”
Th e award recognizes a person for the character, distinction and vision she has brought to her professional or volunteer endeavours. Carol’s path from volunteering in Africa back to Hong Kong to head an international non-profi t organization, part of a global movement that reaches almost 40 million children, has been all of that and more.
With an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from Cornell University and an MBA in fi nance from New York University, Carol spent her early professional life in the pharmaceutical and management consulting industries. But a six-month fellowship in Ghana convinced her that the non-profi t world was where she belonged —most recently as the senior country manager for India for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, an international organization based in Switzerland. Th ere she managed a $500-million grant portfolio to immunize children in India against life-threatening diseases. “Every single thing she has learned in life, she has been able to put to use,” says Jacqueline.
Carol’s passion for bringing health care and education to children brought her home to Hong Kong in January, in the midst of demonstrations and protests, and soon waves of a COVID-19 pandemic and a new national security law. “It was a chaotic time for me to come here,” Carol admits. But with her mother in her 80s, she adds, “I felt I needed to be closer to home.”
Faced with the pandemic, Carol and her team provided emergency relief in Hong Kong. Th ey collected masks, hand sanitizers, laptops and wi-fi cards that had been donated and distributed them to low-income families. Th ey also tailored their programs to address the mental, emotional and psychological well-being issues of children and youth in Hong Kong. “Youth really feel uncertain about their future,” she says. “Some are really distressed about the political and social situation and then, with the suspension of schools, their learning. And little ones just stayed at home all the time.”
Her organization also provided support to developing countries to keep children safe. “Th e pandemic has widened educational disparities around the world. Underprivileged children are the ones who are left the furthest behind.”
With one thing aft er another this year, Carol is focused on doing the best she can under the circumstances. “We do have the aspiration to expand,” she says. “At the end of the day, it’s how many kids are we reaching? And are we making an impact on their lives?”
Twelve years ago, when Carol was contemplating a career change, a colleague helped her to articulate her purpose in life. “I decided that my purpose is to bring together people and organizations of diff erent backgrounds to improve the lives of children around the world, by giving them access to health care and education,” Carol says. “And I’m doing exactly that.”
It is an honour, she adds, to receive the 2020 Allison Roach Alumna Award. “I feel very fortunate and very pleased to be recognized for doing what I do,” Carol says. “And I still have a much longer way to go.” R
Nora Underwood is a Toronto-based freelance writer who has written for many magazines and newspapers, including Maclean’s and Th e Globe and Mail.
An Investment Trailblazer
2020 Young Alumna Achievement Award: Kelly GAUTHIER’97
By Andrea Aster
When Kelly Gauthier’s three pre-teen children were really little, they didn’t understand why other families talked about something called “the weekend.”
As managing director and partner at Rally Assets in Toronto, Kelly prizes her fl exible schedule—summarized as “knowing what glass balls you can’t drop and which ones are plastic”—as she leads its portfolio of responsible and impact investment projects. Th row a husband who’s a shift -working emergency room doctor into the mix, and her children’s question is not so puzzling.
“We both feel really strongly about helping people,” says Kelly. “Th e pandemic has brought to light a lot of these issues. We didn’t all of a sudden have injustice and inequality—but it’s become more apparent. Hopefully, that will translate into action and investors will put their capital to work.”
As a trailblazer in the sustainable investment fi eld, Kelly is passionate about harnessing capital markets to power a more sustainable and just economy. Th e funds she channels serve to assist, for example, Indigenous ventures that lack access to markets, or female inventors and entrepreneurs who’ve experienced genderbased violence and discrimination.
Deputy Principal Karrie Weinstock saw this former Admissions Prefect’s promise, long before her success in convincing investors to invest with integrity. “I remember Kelly’s energy, effi ciency and warmth,” says Weinstock. “It was like having another member of staff .”
A recent Ontario Volunteer Service Award recognized her decade-long work with Access Community Capital Fund, which provides character-based micro-loans to new Canadians, refugees and immigrants excluded from banking systems due to a lack of credit rating or collateral. Th e classic example is an Uber driver with a PhD and no credit history, who needs a loan for re-accreditation.
Aft er excelling at math and science at Branksome, Kelly carved a career path with a B.Sc. in the male-dominated engineering program at Queen’s University, followed by an MBA from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. A revelation came when, while at Rotman, she spent a summer in India working on Canada’s fi rst social venture capital fund, investing in microfi nance organizations.
“I realized that it would be hard for me to work with traditional investors and decades-old ways of doing things,” she says. “I wanted to work with clients who were investing more intentionally and more in line with my values.”
Aft er working for Mercer Investment Consulting on the responsible investment team, she landed at Purpose Capital, now Rally Assets, where she worked her way to the top.
“Kelly has an ability to make her life come together with all the things she loves,” says her sister Jen’99. “She fi nds the people she can work with and she pushes things through.”
Part of the uncompromising connection Kelly makes between her values and her career is rooted in her own upbringing. Th e sisters grew up in a household with a hardworking, self-made father who established himself in the direct-mail business, and a mother whose charity work included enlisting the Branksome community for weekly grocery collection for families in need and goods for newly divorced mothers. As such, Kelly is mindful of her identity as it relates to her work.
“I am very conscious of inequality stemming from white privilege, but also from gender,” she says. “I was defi nitely raised with a sense of the importance of using my privilege for good, although I didn’t understand how to do that until well into my twenties.”
Since then, Kelly has made a life of connecting the dots, aligning her values, and not compromising on her commitment to work-life balance.
Branksome Performing Arts teacher Judith Friend remembers Kelly’s design and construction of a giant rope-web, suspended from the ceiling and spanning the entire length and width of the performance space. “Kelly’s mathematical calculations proved to be accurate at the fi rst attempt and she created and suspended the web in two hours,” says Friend.
Clearly, being brilliant at knowing how to make everything come together was always in the cards. R
WHAT A DIFFERENCE THEY MAKE
With deep pride and admiration, Branksome featured many of the following alums on its social media channels this past spring and summer, stamped with the #BHHeroes hashtag. As their news and dispatches kept coming from around the world, it was an honour to spotlight these frontline workers, who selfl essly rallied to join the global charge against COVID-19.
Kelly HOLLAND’09, an ER nurse in Calgary, stresses the importance of wearing masks, keeping hands away from our faces and regular hand washing.
Alisse HANNAFORD’09, resident physician, internal medicine, Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, Pa. Cathy LE FEUVRE Harrison’80 and David Harrison, cardiologists, Trillium Health Partners, Toronto. Martha RODEN Leong’04, department chair of the Family Medicine units, Buff alo Neighborhood Health Centers, N.Y. Laura ASHTON’06, anaesthetic registrar, London, U.K. Sarah SIDKY’09, resident doctor, Annapolis/Kings Primary Care Clinic, Annapolis Valley, N.S.
Alexandra DIMMER’09, general surgery resident, State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, N.Y. Esha JAIN’08, physician, Richmond University Medical Center, Staten Island, N.Y. Maddie GUNDY’13, operating room nurse in a major-trauma hospital, Sydney, Australia. Missy MAHONEY’98, plastic and reconstructive surgeon, North York General Hospital, Toronto. Romney JONES Pierog’90, registered nurse, Kingston Health Sciences Centre, Kingston, Ont. Romney’s campaign, Healthcare Mask Crusaders, has donated more than 10,000 masks to frontliners, federal prisons and shelters.
Alex PAGE’13, emergency room doctor, St. Mary’s Hospital, London, U.K. General surgeon May-Anh NGUYEN’12, left, and internist Taylor PETROPOULOS’11, Toronto. Pree TAKHAR’13, family medicine resident, ACCESS Fort Garry, Winnipeg.
Retirements Edited excerpts are taken from live and pre-recorded speeches relayed via Zoom at the employee year-end celebration last June.
Nancy Olfert (1988-2020) Junior School Vocal Teacher (1988-98) Middle and Senior School Vocal and Choral
Music Teacher (1998-2000) Music Department Head (2000-10)
During her 32 years at Branksome, Nancy has taught music at every level from Grade 1 to 12—and even Grade 13, back in the day. She is a well-loved vocal teacher, a highly respected choral director, a professional singer and a versatile pianist. Her vocal mastery and passion for choral art have touched many hundreds of students.
Nancy has also encouraged a love of music beyond Branksome’s halls. She has mentored students to prepare for university music programs, and she has coached singers for festivals such as Kiwanis and the CIS Music Festival. Her musical expertise and professionalism are well respected within the music community, as well as at U of T’s OISE. Teaching candidates and new teachers have sung her praises as a mentor.
Anyone who has visited Nancy in the Vocal Room in the Senior School can appreciate that this classroom is a testament to Nancy’s nurturing and positive approach to the teaching of vocal music. Th e room is a safe and supportive learning environment where joy exists and skills can grow. Teaching supplies are colour-coded by grade, visual posters illustrate the elements of music, and the shiny baby-grand piano, Nancy’s key instructional tool, is placed at the centre of the learning circle and surrounded by student seating.
Perhaps the most signifi cant feature in the Vocal Room is the large, ever-growing family of small rubber ducks, representing a diverse range of personalities and characters, and generously donated by dozens of music students over the years. It is this collection of rubber ducks that truly symbolizes the fondness with which students regard Nancy as their vocal and choral teacher. To Middle and Senior School students, Ms. Olfert is their Mother Duck! Nancy, to paraphrase ABBA: “Th ank you for the music.” You have been a trusted colleague, a loyal friend and a wonderful mentor. Your wisdom, your wit and your expertise will be greatly missed. Judith Friend
Instructional Leader, Performing Arts Carol Dugas (2001-2020) Junior School Teacher
When it was time for the students of the Junior School to say goodbye to Carol, it was no surprise that many of them chose to do so by writing poems. To her, the appreciation and writing of poetry was a special part of the curriculum, as was her annual June tradition of reciting a summary of the exploits of the year in rhyming couplets.
She was equally inspired by imaginative picture books and demonstrated how to use them to design educational experiences when she volunteered in the Cambodia Teacher Training Project (2011-12). Carol’s passion for international history and current events oft en found its way into lessons. And her own enthralled explorations of places such as France, New York City, Cuba and Japan led her, in her classes, to nurture an appreciation of the diverse cultures and traditions of the world.
Carol’s eclectic sense of expression inspired her students to create: they doodled, sculpted, embroidered, drew, painted, designed and built things, long before the term “makerspace” ever became popular. Her joy in teaching and love of her students was experienced gratefully by so many whose lives she infl uenced.
Luanne Schlueter
Junior School Music
Michelle Doyle (2002-20) French and Spanish Teacher, Middle and Senior School Instructional Leader, Modern and Classical Languages
Sylvie Henderson (1990-2020) French Teacher, Middle and Senior School
Katie Knox (1994-2020) French Teacher, Middle and Senior School
“Today we celebrate the new beginnings for three pillars of the Languages department. Katie, Sylvie and Michelle, on behalf of all of us, congratulations! You are three compassionate teachers and amazing women, and together, you have a combined impact of over 80 teaching years.” “We have talked, we have stressed. We have laughed together. Teaching a second language is a real calling and all three of you have that passion for language that you bring to your students every single day.”
About Michelle
“To the woman who hired me, thank you for bringing me into this Branksome family. I am better for it.”
“Spending so many hours on our computers these days, I hope to join one of your yoga classes one day.”
“Wherever you are going, just remember, as we say in Spanish, mi casa es tu casa. Wherever you are, I will be here waiting for you to celebrate the happiness of life. For now, Salute, Salute, Salute.”
About Sylvie
“Congratulations. It’s the end of an era. I wish you all the best on this next chapter in your life. You can fi nally catch up on some light reading and enjoy a good cup of coff ee.”
“I’m thinking every day of how the best days of my life I spent with you. Going to ballets, Second City, movie theatres. All those conversations, all those laughs.”
About Katie
“When I fi rst met Katie, aft er a short discussion about summer training, she said to me, I think we’re really going to get along. I had a wonderful experience in the French department—thank you for making my fi rst year at Branksome so exceptional.”
“I learned about the importance of being really knowledgeable in your chosen subject fi eld, about having passion and love for your students.”
Current and past teachers Modern and Classical Languages
Marriages
1960
Barbara FRENCH to Herman Plas, on January 11, 2020, in Waterford, Ont.
2003
Jessica CHAO to Philipp Wanivenhaus, on July 1, 2017, in Vienna, Austria.
2004
Nicole WILSON to Harkeet Chadh, on June 22, 2019, in Montreal.
2006
Laura ASHTON to Matthew Edwards, on July 25, 2019, in London, U.K.
Births
REMARKABLE! Leopold and Eleanor (see Class of 2005 birth notice) look adorable, each in a spiffy Branksome “onesie.” Let us know when your baby arrives, and we’ll send you this cozy outfi t (sized to 12 months).
alumnae@branksome.on.ca
1996 2002
Karelle STEINER to Christopher Golda, on September 15, 2018, in Paris, France.
2005
Hannah LO to Kia Fatemi, on October 11, 2019, in Toronto. Gabriella SICILIANO to David Wright, on November 16, 2019, in Toronto.
2007
Kimberly BROOKER Carter, a daughter, Ashlyn Brooke, on March 26, 2020, in Toronto.
2000
Joanna SOULOS, a daughter, Marina, on December 3, 2019, in Toronto. A niece for Emily SOULOS’97.
2003
Caitlin McALLISTER to Owen Williams, on July 20, 2019, in Toronto. Caroline HOUNG, a daughter, Ava Josephine, on November 6, 2018, in Toronto.
2001
Jessica CHAO Wanivenhaus, a daughter, Valerie, on August 31, 2019, in Vienna, Austria.
Ashley CALDWELL, a son, Harrison Long, on June 1, 2020, in New York City. Rowena LEUNG, a daughter, Everleigh, on February 25, 2020, in Toronto.
Alanna TEDESCO McLaughlin, a daughter, Sienna Marie, on January 31, 2020, in Toronto.
2004
Sarah SAHAGIAN, a daughter, Beatrix Octavia, on February 13, 2020, in Toronto.
2005
Gaylen LINDAL, twins, Eleanor Grace and Leopold Paul, on March 13, 2020, in Toronto. A niece and nephew for Donna LINDAL’07.
2006
Ashley CARTER Godfrey, a daughter, Charlotte Blaire, on July 8, 2020, in Oshawa, Ont.
Julie GILMOUR’05, a daughter, Catharine Mackinnon, on April 28, 2020; Emily GILMOUR’08, a son, Callum Joseph, on January 22, 2020. A nephew for Julie; a niece for Emily.
2013
Maggie BROWN Morrison a son, James Gervase, on April 25, 2020 in Newmarket, Ont. A grandson for Becky MOORE Brown’87.
Deaths
Some notices and In Memoriams have been edited from published obituaries.
1937
Marjorie “Mardi” EASTBURY Kersell, age 100, on May 15, 2020, in Waterloo, Ont.
Mardi’s fi rst job was selling advertising for The Globe and Mail. In the mid-1940s, she moved to Kitchener with her husband Wally Robinson and founded Beauticians Supply Limited. In the late ’60s, she studied interior decorating in New York City, which became invaluable to her in her real estate career.
At over 80 years of age, she was still practising yoga, scuba diving in the Caribbean and swimming with the dolphins in Cuba.
1940
Joan MacPHERSON Gordon, on July 16, 2020, in Burlington, Ont.
Joan was a wonderful and beautiful lady. She loved a good book, was a gracious and generous host and always enjoyed the company of all her friends and children. Growing up in Toronto, there were countless summer holidays and family gatherings at Jackson’s Point, Teeswater and Kincardine.
Joan had a smile that would light up any room, and an ability to brighten everyone’s day. Her love for life sustained her through her fi nal years.
1942
Margaret “Peg” McKELVEY, on January 20, 2020, in Toronto.
During the war, Peg served as a WREN. She spent her professional life as an editor and writer working for JM Dent and Fitzhenry & Whiteside. Later, as a freelancer for the CBC, she was a scriptwriter at the centre of early children’s television programming.
She enjoyed her cottage on Fraser Island in Muskoka, and was a long-time volunteer for the Toronto Symphony, Sunnybrook Hospital, the University College Alumni Association, and the Toronto Humane Society.
A graduate of the University of Toronto, she was instrumental in the establishment of the U of T Art Centre, which she supported throughout her life. She was also a recipient of the U of T Arbor Award, the City of Toronto Canada Day Achievement Award and the University College Alumni of Infl uence Award.
1944
Patricia BELL-IRVING Wilson, on August 20, 2020, in Vancouver.
A mother, grandmother and great-grandmother,
Trish was the solid foundation for her family. She and Charlie, her husband of 65 years, sparked a spirit of adventure in their children, and the family enjoyed many travels.
Trish loved reading history, and supported the Royal Canadian Air Cadet movement, in particular the Bell-Irving Squadron 135, Vancouver, recently renamed in honour of her father.
Trish was a docent for over 10 years at the Vancouver Museum and was also involved for many years in the North Vancouver Community Arts Council.
Deaths
Primula ESHELBY Bull’44, on May 8, 2020, in Kingston, Ont. See In Memoriam
1945
Margaret AMBLER von Marx, on January 8, 2020, in Somerton, U.K. See In Memoriam.
1946
Virginia CARROLL Stinson, on December 3, 2016, in Toronto.
At Branksome, “Ginny” made friendships that continued for decades as the “Branksome Bridge Club.”
Ginny and husband Mike retired to eastern Ontario where they enjoyed many happy years living in the “stone house” on the St. Lawrence River.
Ginny enjoyed an active social life wherever she lived and made a wide range of friends through bridge, volunteer work and service with the Anglican Church.
She returned to Toronto after Mike’s death to be closer to family. Sadly, she developed dementia but, with support, was able to live independently until 2015. Jean WILKINSON Harpham, on February 25, 2013, in Wilmington, Delaware.
Jean became a registered nurse at The Hospital for Sick Children. In 1951, after her marriage to the late John Harpham, they moved to Wilmington, where John worked as a PhD chemist for Hercules. She returned every summer to the family cottage at Oak Lake in Stirling, Ont.
Jean was a devoted member of The Cathedral Church of St. John and a community volunteer. She beautifi ed her home and those of her children using her extraordinary gifts for gardening and needlework.
1948
Sally DALTON Wallace, on June 18, 2020, in Toronto.
Dorothy EDWARDS Moore, on July 28, 2018, in Madoc, Ont.
Margaret FOULDS Hubble, on August 20, 2019, in Toronto.
1949
Elinor OAKS Sisson, on April 9, 2019, in Belleville, Ont.
Elinor graduated with a BA from Queen’s University, where she met Jack Sisson. They were married in 1953 and settled in Belleville where they raised their four children.
Elinor was an extraordinary seamstress and a no-need-to-look knitter, who also did pastel portraits and stained glass works. She was an involved community volunteer and a genealogy buff .
Elinor was a wonderful mother and grandmother, and a loving wife to her devoted husband.
1950
Ann COOLING Stuart, on June 12, 2020, in Bristol, U.K. Mother of Kathy STUART Mundy’75.
1953
Sandra SHAW Sharwood, on April 28, 2020, in Toronto. Sister of Sydney SHAW Sharwood’55 and Beverley SHAW Routledge’61. See In Memoriam.
1954
Grace LANGLOIS Kammerer, on October 17, 2020 in Williamsville, New York. Sister of Joan LANGLOIS King’48.
Ann attended Branksome from Kindergarten to Grade 13 and went on to study law at the University of Toronto. In 1955, she married Ian Stuart and, together, they raised three children. Ann loved to travel and, in 1984, moved to Bristol, where she was nicely located for trips to the continent.
Grace excelled academically, receiving dual BA and BLS degrees from the University of Toronto, and earning a master of library science degree from the State University of New York at Buff alo.
Grace served as medical librarian at both the University of Buff alo Medical & Dental Schools and Kenmore Mercy Hospital and then as acquisitions librarian at Youville College until her retirement in 2000. She lived in Grand Island, New York, for over 50 years, raised her children there, and was an active volunteer.
On their travels, she and Henry, her husband of 24 years, let penguins peck their boots in Antarctica, walked with lions in Zimbabwe, climbed to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, fl oated in the Dead Sea, and renewed their baptismal vows in the River Jordan.
1955
Carol HENSON Chandler, on May 8, 2017, in Halifax, N.S.
A Maritimer, Carol greatly enjoyed the year she attended Branksome Hall. She possessed innate, razor-sharp political insight, and was passionately interested in social and economic justice. She taught her children not what to think, but how to think, to be independent minded and logical thinkers.
Carol canvassed for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia and the Canadian Cancer Society and was honoured as a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters. She supported the arts, particularly the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival and, as an accomplished seamstress, was an avid promoter of local artisans.
1957
Elspeth KING Woods, on April 10, 2020, in St. Catharines, Ont.
1962
Nancy JOHNSTON Covell, on February 22, 2020, in Toronto.
Nancy earned her BScN from the University of Toronto and worked at Sick Kids and Kingston General Hospitals before staying home to raise her three girls. She returned to the profession and worked for the Victorian Order of Nurses, Veterans Aff airs and Toronto Public Health before her retirement.
She had a great love for her family and members of her faith community. She fi lled her life with prayer, music, reading and charitable endeavours. With her boundless energy, she helped to launch numerous educational, devotional and outreach projects.
Patricia WILSON Proctor, on September 3, 2019, in Toronto. Sister of Susan WILSON’65. See In Memoriam.
1964
Victoria LEE Weston, on September 28, 2020, in St. Catharines, Ont. Sister of Nancy LEE Dixon’68. See In Memoriam.
1965
Jill LE CLAIR, on October 23, 2020, in Toronto. See In Memoriam.
1966
Nancy BRADFORD Bos, on May 29, 2020, in Peterborough, Ont. See In Memoriam.
1969
Carol MARBLE Thatcher, on June 9, 2020, in Toronto.
A Brown University grad, Carol worked in the electronic publishing fi eld, with positions at Quicklaw, InfoGlobe and Infomart; then held management positions at CGI and the Ontario Ministry of Health.
A devoted volunteer for 20 years at Out Of The Cold, Carol enjoyed singing with the Toronto Classical Singers, loved to garden and travel, and shared many evenings with her friends at book club, bridge, French and Spanish classes.
1975
Judith SHIRRIFF, date unavailable. Sister of Martha SHIRRIFF Shaw’72.
1977
Trish LARSSON, on April 23, 2020, in Oshawa, Ont.
She was a beautiful soul, kind and loving to everyone and everything that crossed her path.
1980
Susan SHERIDAN Tennant, on July 10, 2017 in North Bay, Ont.
1987
Colleen SILVER, on June 20, 2020, in Burlington, Ont.
Colleen excelled at Branksome, where she made lifelong friends, and where she enjoyed soccer and competitive diving at a national level. At UBC, Colleen found her voice by supporting the environment and protesting against discrimination and corporate America. She returned to Toronto and took a job on Bay Street. Later, Colleen found her true calling in the healthcare sector, perhaps from hearing the many nursing stories from her grandmother.
1992
Molly MacNEILL, on February 16, 2020, in Ottawa, Ont. Daughter of Julie Wildman-Wallis (former Ainslie house mother); niece of Margot VANDERPLOEG Smith’64; cousin of Claire HICKS’92.
Molly was a vibrant young woman with an unquenchable love of life and a fl ourishing career in Ottawa. She passed away unexpectedly at home from a sudden heart attack. She leaves her husband and 13-year-old son. In recognition of Molly, the fl ags at the CSIS headquarters in Ottawa fl ew at half-mast for three days.
In Memoriam
Primula ESHELBY Bull’44
March 20, 1927 – May 8, 2020
Prim enjoyed an idyllic childhood growing up in Somerset, U.K. In 1940, she was evacuated, along with her brother Peter, to Canada, where she attended Branksome Hall until she graduated.
At 17, she returned to England to join the WRENS and was assigned to top-secret operations at Bletchley Park. She later graduated from the University of Bristol and attended the Cordon Bleu school in Paris.
Aft er the war, Prim returned to Canada and worked as a secretary, French teacher and librarian in Toronto. When she started dating our father Keith Bull she would come for Sunday dinners at our home, during which the three teenagers would test her knowledge of slang and swear words, and much to our amusement we would have to explain what they meant. She and Keith married in 1971, and she remained his devoted supporter for 44 years until his death in 2015.
Prim was active as a volunteer with St. George’s Cathedral in Kingston, Ont. where she and Keith had retired. She gardened passionately, was a talented seamstress, was “famous” for her dinners, and loved her bridge games and cross-country skiing. She leaves her stepchildren Cathy, Avril and Owen, nieces, nephews, step-grandchildren and step-great grandchildren, and her best friend Nancy HIGGINBOTTOM Robinson’44.
(In Memoriams continue on next page)
In Memoriam
Margaret AMBLER von Marx’45
June 16, 1930 – January 8, 2020
Maggie’s talents were considerable. She sculpted, she painted, she wrote a book. She cooked, sewed, gardened, decorated and made homes, all with considerable skill and great enthusiasm. She was a secretary, Maggie with her father in 1952. ran a B&B, read widely and avidly, travelled extensively and inquisitively. She entertained, she socialized, she made and kept many friends, even if it saddened her to have outlived so many of them.
She was fi ercely independent. Aft er being born in Singapore, between the ages of 4 and 54 she lived in Winchester, Canada, Australia, Hampshire, Oxford, London, Singapore, Guernsey, the Philippines and Spain. Between 4 and 14, she barely saw her parents at all. Th e world war caused a total diaspora of her immediate family: the origins of that independence are perhaps not surprising. Aft er that 50-year odyssey, she lived the last 35 years of her life in Somerton, U.K.
Maggie was married three times—twice unsuccessfully, and all too briefl y the third time. Over the last 15 months of her life, the physical and mental decline in one who had been so independent and active was sad, and in the end I feel that we should be grateful that she died when she did, and did not linger aft er—for her—any tolerable quality of life had irretrievably gone.
Rupert Hill
Margaret’s son
Sandra SHAW Sharwood’53
March 3, 1935 – April 28, 2020
Sandra attended various schools in Ontario, necessitated by moves dictated by the family business, the Shaw Milling Company (Maple Leaf Mills). She graduated from Branksome and while there developed championship diving and swimming skills, oft en training in Lake Ontario in order to win countless competitions against those who trained in heated pools.
Sandra loved animals and was an accomplished horsewoman. As a youngster, she rode frequently with her father Hedley, who was killed in action on February 11, 1945, at age 43, during the liberation of Holland. Hedley was a highly skilled sniper serving with the Lake Superior Highlanders. Sandra never got over his tragic death, which was thought to contribute to her lifelong battle with depression.
Sandra became an outspoken evangelist for understanding depression. She volunteered with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and served as chair of the Canadian Psychiatric Awareness Committee (CPAC), a committee of the Canadian Psychiatric Foundation. She also volunteered with the Art Gallery of Ontario, National Ballet, Opera Committee, Stop 103, Th e Royal Winter Fair, Tarragon Th eatre and certain Grace Church on-the-Hill outreach activities.
Sandra had brief but creative business careers, including with the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce to establish a frontline staff training centre. She retired from the bank as the vicepresident, personnel, in order to focus on raising a family and spend more time and energy on her charitable and outreach interests.
Sandra was friendly, kind, funny and incredibly outgoing, and is fondly remembered by everyone she encountered.
Patricia WILSON Proctor’62
September 3, 2019
A wife, mother and grandmother, Patty was a consummate knitter, bird lover, crossword puzzler, gardener, traveller, hostess, dancer, Georgian Bay cottager and bridge player. She retained good friends from all stages of her life.
Patty studied Chinese language at the University of Toronto, with stints for undergraduate and graduate work at Columbia University and the Universities of Oxford, Hong Kong and London, U.K.
Her language skills landed her a short-term position at the Royal Ontario Museum acting as a translator for a visiting academic studying the ROM’s oracle bone collection. She parlayed this into a 40-year career, during which she became a recognized expert in Chinese ceramics, an impassioned lecturer on Chinese arts, culture, and history, and was personally entrusted with expanding the ROM’s renowned Chinese ceramic collection.
Victoria LEE Weston’64
September 9,1946 – September 28, 2020
Vicki was incredibly kind, unbelievably thoughtful, smart as a whip, hilarious, and a force to be reckoned with. No one could write a letter like Vicki. Her dedication to staying connected with so many people in her life with a thoughtful note in her distinct and beautiful penmanship was truly amazing. She showed genuine interest and happiness in
celebrating everyone’s achievements. Vicki was a voracious reader, a movie buff , and a lover of animals. She loved the water—to collapse under it, as she would say. A huge part of her heart lay in Muskoka, a place where so many of her wonderful childhood memories took place.
Vicki loved to learn and admitted she was a better student than teacher, lasting only one year in front of the classroom before realizing her talents belonged elsewhere. Completing two degrees at Queen’s University and most recently a university certifi cate for Teaching English as a Second Language, her passion for learning something new was never satisfi ed.
Vicki was my older sister, my idol. An excellent student, she set the bar for the rest of us. A favourite memory from growing up was sneaking downstairs on Christmas Eve to see what Santa had brought us. Once our mother caught us, but all of those other times were our little secrets.
In our later years and aft er our parents had died, Vicki became our unoffi cial family “historian.” I was forever asking her questions about our earlier days and she almost always had an answer. A strong, independent woman, no sister could have been a better correspondent— sending notes and cards for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and so on. She loved my four children and took pleasure in hearing all about their exploits.
Every day in my home, I see a little something or card that Vicki sent to me.
Nancy LEE Dixon’68
Vicki’s sister
Jill LE CLAIR’65
February 6, 1947 – October 24, 2020
Jill attended Branksome for several years in the Junior School, but remained connected over the years. Aft er attending McGill University, her academic success included a career at Humber College as a professor of social sciences with a focus on sport. In 1993, she received a Humber College Distinguished Faculty Award.
Aft er receiving a PhD in anthropology from the University of Toronto, Jill earned a grant from the European Commission: the Marie Curie Fellowship to study sports, disability and the Paralympics at the University of Coventry in the U.K. Her academic career centered on sports, disability and the Paralympics. She published numerous articles and authored a book entitled Winners and Losers: Sport and Physical Activity in the 90s.
Jill’s work involved worldwide travel as a speaker at international conferences sponsored by academic organizations and universities on sports-related topics. She attended sporting events throughout the world to interview participants and to discuss the challenges that many athletes, particularly para-athletes, encounter in their sport.
In the late 1990s, Jill was injured in a car accident that required her to wear a neck brace. She turned that adversity into an opportunity and created art shows of photographs taken while lying down in places such as airline lounges, hotel lobbies and meeting rooms. More recently, due to some medical issues she had begun to wind down.
Tragically, as Jill was enjoying a cup of tea with a friend, she was struck by a van that ran onto the sidewalk.
Nancy BRADFORD Bos’66
May 5, 1948 – May 29, 2020
Th roughout her life Nancy remained a loyal friend to Branksome, to her classmates and to all who knew her. Aft er Grade 13, Nancy headed to Queen’s University where she met the love of her life, Carlo Bos. Aft er graduating with a BA, she went to Toronto Teachers’ College for the primary specialist program. She loved her profession and brought her zest for life and inimitable enthusiasm to her students and fellow teachers. Nancy and Carlo married in 1972 and aft er a few years in London moved to Peterborough, where they settled and brought up their three sons, Carlo, Jeff rey and Graham.
As well as being a teacher, Nancy was an active member of the community leading a Brownie pack, volunteering at Lakefi eld College, the YWCA, her church and Hospice Peterborough. She was also an enthusiastic cottager, book club member, curler and avid traveller.
Nancy was diagnosed with leukemia four years ago. She never lost her spirited and optimistic approach to life. She died at home surrounded by the love of her husband, her three boys and their families.
Nancy did indeed Keep Well Th e Road.
Gail McKINNON MacNaughton’66
Classmate and Friend
Th e Quiet Journey
It’s daring to question The Way Things Are and strike out on a different path
By Stephanie KAIN’02
I AM INSPIRED by the way my classmates are living out their various remarkable dreams—perhaps diff erently from how they, too, had planned. In the era of the climate change crisis, success for many of us means not perpetually growing and expanding, taking up more resources and more space, but living more simply. An awareness of privilege and equality may mean not generating more wealth and extravagance, but being wise and gracious in taking less, putting aside the ideals of modern success and focusing on small acts of service.
For some people, being remarkable might mean fi nding a cure for Alzheimer’s or dancing in the National Ballet. For others, being remarkable is a quiet journey. It’s daring to question Th e Way Th ings Are and strike out on a diff erent path, having gained the confi dence that success is possible against the status quo.
We are remarkable not because of the great fl ashes of brilliance we occasionally have, but because of the way we live our everyday lives: our thoughts, our ideals, our values, our actions—how we listen, how we react, how we move forward and how we pause before deciding.
Only one of us needs to invent the machine that will fi lter the oceans of microplastics. But while she is working on her feat of brilliant engineering, the rest of us can get out gloves and paper garbage bags and set to work cleaning up one section of the earth at a time.
Only one of us needs to be the next Ruth Bader Ginsburg, but the rest of us can quietly write letters to our MPs, demanding policy changes at the community level. We can protest at Black Lives Matter events. We can stand up to small acts of homophobia, misogyny, racism and xenophobia we see in our everyday lives.
Only one of us needs to amass a billion-dollar fortune and become a steward of philanthropy. Th e rest of us can contribute small amounts to causes that mean something to us. Dollar by dollar, we can rebalance the scales.
Every day, I witness my classmates doing quietly remarkable things: canvassing for political issues, starting businesses, raising children, homeschooling, learning a new language, moving across continents, repatriating, writing books, acting on TV, craft ing satire, designing eco homes, building, innovating, singing, and word by word, action by action, changing the world, post-pandemic, for the better.
Branksome was our starting block, and we are all capable of leaping off it into the remarkable lives we create for ourselves. R
Stephanie Kain is an author, business owner and former academic. Her novels have been shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award, the Golden Crown Literary Award and the National Indie Excellence Award. She holds a PhD in creative writing from Lancaster University, U.K., for which she studied the history of Idiot Asylums in Ontario during the 1920s. She lives with her wife and daughter on Prince Edward Island, where she runs a bookstore/coff ee shop.
Hanging In: With a little SELfcare
“Hanging in there” became our new answer to “How are you?” Th e Student Support Team created an online SELfcare Toolkit packed with ideas to be used by students and families alike, to strengthen resilience, support our mental health and well-being, and nourish our relationships.
https://www.branksome.on.ca/coronavirus-response/selfcare-toolkit
