Tag: Obituaries

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York mourns loss of visionary philanthropist Helen Vari 

The York University community is mourning the loss of Helen Vari whose many contributions to the University had transformational impact. A visionary philanthropist dedicated to supporting students, Helen and her husband George William Vari, PC CM (Aug. 14, 1923 – Dec. 9, 2010) created an outstanding record of philanthropic activity.

Among countless charitable contributions spanning decades, their passion for education and research led them to become patrons of some of Toronto’s greatest institutions.  

Helen Vari and Rhonda Lenton
Helen Vari and York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton

“It is with great sadness that I share the news of the loss of philanthropist Helen Vari,” says York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton. “On behalf of York University, I offer my heartfelt condolences to the many friends, family and supporters of Helen. She was a dear friend and will be greatly missed. 

“Helen and her late husband George were passionate supporters of York and of higher education institutions across Canada. Their contributions have made a profound and lasting impact at York University and have played a significant role in enhancing the learning environment for York’s diverse body of students. They have been pivotal in York’s success as a leading international teaching and research university.” 

Helen helped bring to fruition several building projects – among them Vari Hall, the nucleus of the Keele Campus – to the University. Often referred to as the “front door” of the University, Vari Hall is an iconic building at the heart of Keele Campus. Home to several lecture halls and other spaces, its three-storey rotunda has become the main gathering place on campus, a busy hub bringing community members together.  

Helen received an honorary doctorate from York in 2003 where she gave her perspective as the longest-serving York board member. “I always emphasized, and it is the philosophy of the board, that…in essence, all the intellectual and material riches of York University should serve only one purpose: the interest and well-being of our students, to make their life richer intellectually, and to provide the best possible learning, recreational and living conditions for our students.” 

She was appointed to York’s Board of Governors in 1990 and served until 2002, at which point she was made an honorary governor. She also served on the boards of the Ontario Heritage Foundation, Canada Council, Canadian Scene, The Council for Canadian Unity, Canada House at the Université de Paris, and the World Monuments Fund. A member of the Order of Canada, she received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2003. 

Dedicated to supporting students, the Varis also established numerous student awards at York, including: the Helen Vari Award in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, given in recognition of outstanding creative or scholarly achievement and overall academic excellence to a third- or fourth-year film and video student; the Helen Vari Award for Excellence and Good Citizenship, recognizing a graduating student in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies for their outstanding academic achievement and community service; and the George and Helen Vari Foundation Entrance Award (Environmental Studies), supporting graduate students entering their first year of the Master in Environmental Studies program at York. 

The York community will be forever grateful to the legacy that Helen and George Vari have left at York. 

Passings: Professor Emerita Evelyn Kallen

A field of flowers at sunset

Long-serving faculty member and human rights activist, Professor Emerita Evelyn Kallen, died on Feb. 5 at the age of 93.

Evelyn Kallen
Evelyn Kallen

Kallen served York University for 21 years, first coming to York in 1970 as an assistant professor in the Division of Social Sciences. She gained tenure in 1974 as an associate professor, and from 1984 to 1991 served as full professor in social science and anthropology in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS).

In 1989, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. She also served as honorary Chair of the Human Rights Research & Education Centre at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law from 1989 to 1990. In 1991, she retired from York as a Senior Scholar but continued to teach until 1995. In 2012, she was named a Distinguished Professor of Humans Rights at York’s Department of Equity Studies.

Kallen’s teaching, research and expertise in social science and anthropology spanned more than five decades with specific interest in social stratification, social change, social movements, race and ethnic relations, religion and ethnicity, ethnicity and identity, as well as racism, hate propaganda, multiculturalism, ethnic and non-ethnic minorities, human rights legislation, the charter and minority rights, human rights and public policy, and social issues including abortion and euthanasia. She also encouraged York’s foray in community engaged experiential education.

“In my many conversations with Evelyn, over the more than 40 years I was fortunate to have her as my primary mentor, I learned York University, in many ways, was home to Evelyn Kallen even after her retirement. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have been mentored by the likes of Evelyn Kallen,” says LA&PS Professor Peter Dawson.

Kallen was the author of nine books, including her first work The Anatomy of Racism: Canadian Dimensions (with D. R. Hughes in 1974) and her recent work Social Inequality and Social Injustice: a human rights perspective (2004), as well as several articles, book chapters and papers.

Kallen’s humanitarian legacy will continue to have a profound impact through her visionary support of the Evelyn Kallen Distinguished Scholars in International Human Rights.

York University campus flags will be lowered to half staff in honour of Kallen on March 21, to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Cremation has taken place and a celebration of life gathering will be planned at York University on a future date. To make a gift in her memory at York, visit https://giving.yorku.ca/EvelynKallen or call 416-650-8210. 

Passings: Vito Mariani

A field of flowers at sunset

Vito Mariani died on Oct. 19, 2022 at the age of 79. Mariani was a long-serving employee of York University and worked in both Transportation and Facilities Services.

Vito Rocco Mariani
Vito Rocco Mariani

In 1985, Mariani began his career at York University. He retired in 2005 after 20 years of service to the University. He started in the Grounds Department in Facilities Services doing various duties before moving to the Transportation Department, where he worked as a bus driver. 

During his time working at York University, Mariani volunteered his time to serve as a union steward with CUPE 1356. He had a deep commitment to the welfare of others.

Colleagues recalled his love of physical fitness, noting that Mariani would take every opportunity to work out, and in his spare time he was often seen going to the gym to use the treadmill or other machines.

His retirement years were spent with his adored family and enjoying the warm weather with his wife each winter in Florida. He leaves his wife, Antonia “Nietta,” and his children Tom (Krista) and Lucy (Joe). He was the very proud Nonno to his granddaughters, Antonella and Giuseppina.

Passings: Professor Emerita Carla Lipsig-Mummé

A field of flowers at sunset

Department of Social Science Professor Emerita Carla Lipsig-Mummé died peacefully on Friday, Jan. 20 with her daughter, Claire, by her side.

Carla Lipsig-Mummé
Carla Lipsig-Mummé

Lipsig-Mummé retired in June 2022 after 32 years at York University. During her tenure, she made many enduring contributions to the Department of Social Science, helping to shape the Work & Labour Studies program and the Global Labour Research Centre. She was also the founding director of York’s Centre for Research on Work & Society, where she brought together trade unionists and academics to conduct ground-breaking research on work and workers’ justice.

Born into a union family, she began her career as a union organizer for garment workers in New York and San Francisco, for farmers with Cesar Chavez’ United Farmworkers Organizing Committee, and then as a researcher for Québec’s Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ).

She received her PhD in sociology at the Université de Montreal and her master of sociology at Boston University. Her foremost concerns in research and activism included labour and organizing, climate change and work, young workers, and the social impact of global warming.

Her pioneering work on climate change grew during her appointment as Research Chair in Social and Political Inquiry at Monash University in Australia. Upon her return to York, she formed a team to address the pressing question, “how can workplaces help slow the threat of global warming?”

As the principal investigator of the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) project “Adapting Canadian Work and Workplaces to Respond to Climate Change: Canada in International Perspective,” Lipsig-Mummé gained international recognition and praise from prestigious organizations like the International Labour Organization and the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

In addition to her impressive body of research, she led Work and Climate Change (WCC), an international community-university research partnership, which she helped grow from five partners and eight researchers from its inception to 52 partners over the past two decades. Over the course of her career, Lipsig-Mummé was principal investigator on 46 grants, 28 of which were funded by SSHRC, totalling approximately $10 million in funding.

In March 2018, she received the prestigious Sefton-Williams Award for her contributions to the field of labour relations and human rights.

Lipsig-Mummé will be remembered for her scholarship and passion for social justice, climate change and labour rights. She leaves behind an impressive legacy and a lasting impact on the Department of Social Science, the Faculty and the University.

Her daughter is planning a memorial service in the future. Additional details once they become available will be provided.

Passings: Amy Rossiter

A field of flowers at sunset

York University Professor Emeritus Amy Rossiter, with the School of Social Work in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS), died suddenly on Jan. 17.

Amy Rossiter
Amy Rossiter

Rossiter was a long-serving faculty member at York University since the early ’90s, working also in the Graduate Program in Social Work as well as the Graduate Program in Women’s Studies. Her research and teaching was dedicated to exploring critical perspectives in social work, ethics and applications of feminist postmodernism to social work. Her work aimed to strengthen the relationship between social work and social justice.

“Amy will be remembered for her keen intellect, warmth and generosity. She left an indelible mark on her students and colleagues, where her work in social justice, ethics and feminism crossed disciplines,” said LA&PS Dean J.J. McMurtry. “Her scholarship on equity, inclusion and postmodern feminism in the practice of social work was groundbreaking and internationally recognized. Her passion for promoting community engagement was evident in her research interests and led to an important community-University research partnership with PEACH (Promoting Economic Action and Community Health).”

Rossiter was author of From private to public: A feminist exploration of early mothering (Toronto: The Women’s Press) and co-author of Practice and research in social work: Postmodern feminist perspectives (London: Routledge). She contributed her work and research with chapters in several books, and published more than 30 journal articles.

“Amy made a lasting impact on those around her. Valued by her students, admired by her colleagues and respected by her academic peers, Amy’s legacy extends beyond her scholarship,” said McMurtry.

She leaves behind her children Ben and Kate, and her extended family, friends, and colleagues.

A memorial service will be held in Toronto at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 4. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Toronto Rehab’s Specialised Dementia Unit, at UHN Foundation would
be appreciated by the family. For condolences, visit UHNfoundation.ca/tribute or call 416-603-5300.

Passings: William Dimma

A field of flowers at sunset

A long-standing advocate and changemaker at York University, Professor Emeritus William (Bill) Dimma, died quietly in his sleep on Thursday, Dec. 22 in Toronto. Dimma served the University for several decades as a professor, dean, member and Chair of the Board of Governors.

William (Bill) Dimma
William (Bill) Dimma

Born on Aug. 13, 1928, in Montreal, Que., Dimma received a bachelor of applied science degree from the University of Toronto in 1948, a master of business administration degree from York University in 1969 and a doctor of business administration from Harvard University in 1973.

From 1974-76, he was a professor and dean of the (former) Faculty of Administrative Studies at York University.

Described as “one of York’s greatest enthusiasts,” Dimma was awarded a doctor of laws (honoris causa) in 1998 by York in recognition of his multifaceted association with the University as a student, faculty member, dean and his role in governance. Dimma was a member of the Board of Governors of York University from 1976 to 1997 and was the Board of Governors Chair from 1992-97. During this time, he devoted, on average, a full 20 per cent of his long work week to the betterment of York University. In this period, he also served the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children for 15 years, somehow finding time to Chair the investment committee and to sit on many other task forces and committees.

He was also a driving force and a key donor in the creation of the Jarislowsky-Dimma-Mooney Chair in Corporate Governance, established jointly at the Schulich School of Business and Osgoode Hall Law School in 2006.

From 1987 and into the early 1990s, Dimma spoke and wrote extensively on business ethics and became a highly respected leader within the corporate community for his advocacy of a greater sense of ethical awareness and of higher ethical standards. He is the author of Excellence in the Boardroom: Best Practices in Corporate Directorship. For his work in this field, St. Mary’s University awarded him an honorary degree in 1992. He is remembered as a keeper of corporate consciences, a reputation for excellence that earned him a place on 90 corporate boards, invitations to speak in many academic and business fora, and a well-deserved role in public and community affairs.

Dimma was awarded the Gold Medal in the Doctoral Program, Graduate School of Business, Harvard University. His other awards include the York University Business School Alumni Award for Outstanding Corporate Leadership, 1992, and the Order of Canada, 1996. In 1999, he was made a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors. In 2000, he was made a member of the Order of Ontario.

In addition to his many professional accomplishments, Dimma was a talented swimmer and cross-country skier. He played water polo and squash while he was a student at the University of Toronto, and he garnered multiple master points in Bridge. He also loved travelling with his wife, and with his family.

He was married for 61 years, and he leaves his wife Louise (Ash), daughters Katherine and Suzanne, and son-in-law, Arriz Hassam.

Cremation has taken place, and a private family interment will take place in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in the spring. Donations in Dimma’s memory can be made to York University here. Visit Schulich’s memorial tribute page here.

Passings: Professor Emeritus Robert Fothergill

passings

School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) theatre Professor Emeritus Robert Fothergill died Nov. 18 in Toronto.

On April 3, 1941, Fothergill was born in Banstead, Surrey, England to Brenda (née Carr) and Charles Fothergill, the first of three children. As a lad, his favourite activity was plane spotting including cycling to Croydon airport to collect serial numbers of incoming planes. His Cambridge years at Downing College were exciting; he felt indebted to the teachings of F.R. Leavis in shaping his approach to English literature.

Robert Fothergill
Robert Fothergill

After a year teaching in Switzerland and a second in Baghdad (during the revolution), he came to Canada in 1963 to pursue graduate work at McMaster University and the University of Toronto. His PhD dissertation was published as Private Chronicles: a Study of English Diaries by Oxford University Press in 1974. He taught in the English department at York University’s Atkinson College starting in 1966, later moving to York’s Theatre department, a change which reignited his passion as a professor.

Fothergill’s love for Shakespeare was unsurpassed – throughout his life, he quoted lines from The Bard, Beckett and many other literary greats on so many occasions, big and small, that it was a fixture of everyday life; he made casual chats at home pretty special. He was endlessly witty and loved to make people laugh. He loved conversations; he loved to teach; he loved his students; and he had great regard for his colleagues, many of whom became dear friends. One student writes, “He was a wonderful man. Kind, witty, staggeringly talented as a teacher, and one of the biggest influences in my decision to go to theatre school in the first place… He made me realize that life can take many twists and turns, and I wasn’t so anxious anymore. I’ve never regretted the choice I made, ultimately, and I owe it to him.” The outpouring of thoughts like these has been a great comfort to his family.

His writing included plays that were staged at Toronto theatres and beyond. He loved all of his plays, but Detaining Mr. Trotsky (1987), his first major production, was his favourite. He was proud and grateful to see his work brought to life by talented actors, directors and theatre crews. He was an avid supporter of Canadian film in the 1960s and beyond as it came of age, and was a founding member of the Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre along with Lorne Michaels, David Cronenberg and Ivan Reitman. He made films himself, proudest of the controversial Countdown Canada, imagining the takeover of Canada by the U.S., and Campaign, an account of NDP candidate Barbara Beardsley’s run for office in Ontario’s 1975 provincial election. He was a lifelong NDP supporter, always wanting more for those who had less than he had; he inspired his partner, Eleanor Dudar, to join the cause, and continued to canvass even with their young sons in tow.

Fothergill travelled to India three times to direct Canadian plays with students who had no theatre training; they were in awe of the chance to work with him, who in their eyes was an “esteemed professor.” After retiring, he wrote and produced Let’s Go!, a prequel to Waiting for Godot, led some Living and Learning in Retirement lecture series, and just this past year created a Hot Docs video series, The Magic of the Theatre. He was getting ready to work on lectures about Renaissance drama for graduate students in Basra, Iraq.

He never stopped supporting former students and colleagues in ways large and small. He was so giving and so generous-even more than we knew, having an impact on countless others’ lives. He loved the glow of the spotlight, but he was a humble man.

His family was so dear to him. Sadly predeceased by both his younger sisters, Clare and Veronica, he leaves behind a wonderful family in England. His death, which he fought against so hard even with badly damaged lungs and heart, leaves a huge hole in the lives of Eleanor and their sons, Patrick and Simon. His grandchildren, Thomas and Sarah, really were the light of his life. He especially adored reading them stories in their early years, and more recently, giving history lessons, especially of revolutions and wars, with an atlas in hand. He will miss watching them continue to grow; such is the sad but inevitable fate of grandparents. His Canadian relatives and their families grieve his loss deeply.

Fothergill was kind, patient and generous and these quiet virtues often go unremarked, yet they are essential to making life better for everyone. He was so grateful for the medical support from his many doctors over his last years, and the people in Toronto General’s cardiac ICU during his last days were exceptional. In spite of his extremely limited energy, he still enjoyed finding out where his nurses were from so he could talk about history and politics with them. They allowed his family to spend so many hours over 18 days loving him, advocating for him, and talking with him as much as his energy would allow. What a precious gift to have that extra time.

There will be a memorial event to honour his life, details of which will be forthcoming. Donations in his memory can be made to the Daily Bread Food Bank, Doctors Without Borders, or the Campaign to Cure Arthritis through the UHN Schroeder Institute.

Passings: Associate Professor J. Teresa Holmes

passings

Jane (J.) Teresa Holmes, an associate professor in the Anthropology Department in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, died Nov. 18, at the age of 68.

J. Teresa Holmes was a respected academic, researcher and dedicated educator. She will be remembered for her warmth, generosity and commitment to teaching and learning.

J. Teresa Holmes
J. Teresa Holmes

She earned her PhD from the University of Virginia. Her research interests included East African colonial history, kinship and society, her professional life-long passion.

Holmes also published field and archival research on tourism in Belize, helping to further develop an anthropology of tourism in the Caribbean. She was also a respected graduate supervisor who trained many doctoral and masters students and many of her former students considered her to be an esteemed mentor.

Holmes used her life-long passion for knitting and crossword puzzles to help meet her many recent health challenges. She met those challenges with courage and without complaint. She was brave and strong in the crucial ways that matter and was a loving inspiration to her family.

She was the beloved daughter of the late Very Rev. Urban Tigner Holmes III. She is survived by her loving husband Kenneth Little and son William Tigner Holmes Little (Stephanie), her adored mother Jane Neighbours Holmes and sister Janet Cooper (Brown) both of Sewanee, Tennessee, and brothers Thom (Janae) of Atlanta, Georgia, and Allan (Kris) of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She was a beloved daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, and aunt and will be dearly missed by the Little Family.

In keeping with her wishes there will be a celebration of life service at St. Martin-in-the-Fields on the corner of Glenlake and Indian Grove (Keele subway station) on Dec. 3 at 2 p.m., a light reception will follow and will take place in the parish hall. A private interment will be held in Sewanee, Tennessee, at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations should be made to the Kidney Foundation of Canada. 

Passings: Wendy Peever

passings

Wendy Peever, a long-serving staff member of York University’s Schulich School of Business, died on Sept. 2 at the age of 62, with her family by her side.

Wendy Peever
Wendy Peever

One of the school’s longest-serving employees, Peever was on leave from her role as admissions assistant in Student Services & International relations. She first joined Schulich more than 43 years ago and became an integral member of the school’s student services unit, spending the majority of that time in admissions assessment.

“Known for her contagious laugh, Wendy was almost always the first person to show up for the day and proceeded to greet her colleagues with a warm smile as they arrived,” said Dean Detlev Zwick in a message to the Schulich community. “She also supported her fellow employees any way she could. During the many years she worked at Schulich, she built strong friendships with colleagues, faculty members and students and knew everyone by name – including the students whose files she managed.”

Peever was the daughter of Dorothy (nee Dettman) and Russell Peever. She was the cherished sister of Gayle. She was the devoted and much-loved aunt of Lisa and Nicole.

Schulich will establish a bench named in Peever’s honour, to be located in the Founders Courtyard, and invites anyone wishing to make a donation to do so here. For those who wish to share condolences and memories, they can do so here.

York University will lower a flag in memory of Peever on Wednesday, Nov. 23.

Passings: Wayne Mah

Candle light vigil memorial passing

Wayne Mah, among the most committed staff members of York University Libraries and Osgoode Hall Law School, died in his home Oct. 22.

Mah worked with diligence and devotion for more than 36 years in various roles across different departments at York University.

Wayne Mah, Osgoode Law Library coordinator
Wayne Mah

The many colleagues that Mah had inspired throughout his career offered their gratitude for his commitment to the school’s community.

Osgoode Hall Law School Dean Mary Condon commemorated Mah in a recent statement to all Osgoode Hall Law School staff and faculty.

“Wayne was one of our school’s longest-serving employees. He started his career at the York University Libraries on Sept. 18, 1986 and worked in different roles in the Circulation Department of the York University Libraries. Wayne became a law library assistant at the Osgoode Law Library on May 1, 1999 and progressed to become the readers services coordinator on Aug. 1, 2017,” she wrote. “Over the years, Wayne passionately assisted faculty, students, researchers, and visitors at the Osgoode Library Circulation Desk. He was responsible for managing overdue fines inquiries, checking for missing and lost items [and] reconciling student accounts for convocation. Wayne ensured that library users received excellent services.

“The Osgoode Law Library will not be same without Wayne,” she added. “He was a highly dedicated member of staff who was well loved by faculty, staff and students. I know you will share in the condolences to Wayne’s family, his wife, Jenn, and his daughters, Ashley and Katie.”

A memorial was held on Oct. 27 where family, friends and co-workers gathered to celebrate Mah’s life.