Celebrating our Graduates, Scholarship Winners and Honorary Fellows UPCOMING

St John’s College Newsletter Vol XI No.5
UPCOMING
EVENTS
For more information or times
please call 474-8531.
Graduation Dinner:
Saturday, 26th March, 2011
At Bergmann’s On Lombard
End of Term Barbecue:
Early April 2011.
Christus Rex Dedication:
Sunday, 1st May, 2011.
Chapel Services:
Every Sunday at 10.30am
Mon-Thurs – morning prayer 9am
and noon hour prayers.
Choral Evensong with All The
King’s Men. First Sunday of every
month.
WINTER 2011
Celebrating our Graduates,
Scholarship Winners and
Honorary Fellows
This Issue
Thinking Theology
p. 3
Convocation
p. 4
Thank You Donors
p. 6
Faculty/Staff News
p. 10
Alumni/Student News p. 12
In Memorium
p. 14
The Mind Is Not A Vessel To Be
Filled, But A Fire To Be Ignited.
Plutarch
Warden’s
Word!
By Janet Hoskins, Warden & Vice Chancellor
This has been an interesting year
in the life of St John’s College. I can’t
think of a time in which there has been
so much change in our administrative team, for example. At about this
time last year, we determined that, in
order to prepare for significant budget
cuts that were anticipated along with
new and recurring expenses in the
Residence, we needed to discontinue
our Facilities Manager position. Thus, in
March we said a sad farewell to Bruce
Mahaffy who left to take up a similar
position elsewhere at the University
of Manitoba. At about the same time
we also lost our long-time and beloved Registrar, Erin Palamar to cancer;
Paul Lampman left to take up a new
Taking their great-grandmother’s
ministry opportunity as the Rector of
seat in the Robert B. Lecture Theatre St Luke’s Church and we also found
ourselves in need of a new receptionist.
are Janet’s granddaughters.
It was the “perfect storm” of events and
that is how it felt for a while this summer. The rest of the team picked up the
In Lumine is the official alumni journal
of St John’s College
slack while also serving on search comDesign: Karen Armstrong Graphic Design
mittees for replacements. Words cannot
Editing: Jackie Markstrom & Maureen
express my admiration and gratitude
Kolodie
for the dedication and relatively good
Thank you to this issues contributors: Janet
Hoskins, John Stafford, Robert Kroetsch,
humour with which they rose to this
Laurie Anne Vermette, Chris Trott, Ian Park,
task. It was not easy! I’m happy to say
and our alumni and friends.
though that, as of this writing, we
OUR MISSION is to share information,
stimulate discussion and foster happy
are back up to our full complement
memories about St John’s College and,
and our new colleagues have already
in so doing continue to build commushown themselves to be capable and
nity through the forging and improving
of relationships with the College.
caring. They are great additions to the
team.
How to contact us:
St John’s College, 92 Dysart Rd,
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2M5
Phone: (204) 474-8531 Fax: 474-7610
Email [email protected] Web:
www.umanitoba.ca/colleges/st_johns
Front Page Photo: A Doctor of
Divinity was conferred upon The
Right Rev’d Barbara Andrews ’97.
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I am very pleased to welcome: Amy
Craddock as receptionist; Sherry
Peters as Registrar and my confidential
secretary; and Sean Taubner as Dean
of Residence. During this time, we also
split the Chaplain/Dean of Residence
position into a full-time Dean of
Residence, which Sean holds, and a
part-time Chaplain. We have adjusted
the duties of the Dean of Theology,
John Stafford, to allow him to take
on the Chaplain role on a part-time
basis and he has embraced these
new activities in a very positive and
creative way.
We have also welcomed new
Fellows recently: Dr. Ernie Keenes
from Political Studies, Dr. David Watt
from English; and doctoral students
Erin Millions (History), Leah Morton
(History) and Agnes Pawlowska
(Native Studies). We were very sad to
lose Dr. Robert Kroetsch as a Visiting
Fellow but were delighted that he
accepted the request of College
Council that he accept a Doctor of
Canon Law (honoris causa) from St
John’s College and thus became one
of our alumni. All of the Fellows of
the College contribute greatly to the
scholarly and intellectual life of SJC.
They teach and mentor our students;
they engage in highly acclaimed
scholarship and research; and they
engage us all in thinking about the
world in different ways. It is sometimes easy to forget that not everybody’s workplace is as stimulating
and engaging as this one – a scholarly community in which all members
are respected and valued. It is with
deep gratitude that I take my place in
this community.
As we start the new year, I would
like to thank all of our Johnians and
friends for their support and interest
in St John’s College over the past year
and extend, to you and your families,
my very best wishes for a happy,
healthy and prosperous 2011.
Thinking Theology with John Stafford, Dean of Theology
The Book of Esther…
or, Lottery Tickets Seemed Like a Good Idea
The Book of Esther in the Old
Testament appears only once in
the Revised Common Lectionary.
Pity, because it’s theologically very
rich material and very entertaining.
Maybe that’s the problem—because it’s so interesting, you can’t
just read a portion; you need to
read the whole thing at a sitting. So
turn off the TV, grab your libation
of choice, settle in and read. Does
Esther read like a screenplay?
The Setting - The Jewish community in the Persian city of Susa
(modern Iraq), c. 4th century BC.
The Cast of Characters Ahasuerus, King of Persia (and not
that bright), Vashti, Ahasuerus’ wife.
Esther, Jewish queen of Ahasuerus
(following the sad divorce with
Vashti), Mordecai, Esther’s relative and all-round good guy,
Haman (and his scheming family),
Ahasuerus’ CEO and upwardly mobile (but in the wrong way).
The Plot - Esther becomes queen
in place of the deposed Vashti
but no one knows she’s Jewish.
Mordecai (known to be Jewish) is
her wise influence which brings him
close to the courts of royal power.
He helps thwart an assassination
attempt on the king and the king is
suitably grateful.
Haman wants to be the king’s first
counsellor but has competition.
Mordecai refuses to acknowledge
WINTER 2011
Haman’s status. Haman conspires
against Mordecai but vents his rage
by proposing a Jewish pogrom
to the king who, in witless fashion, agrees. To find the best time
to enact this policy, Haman casts
lots (Purim). And in anticipation,
builds gallows upon which to hang
Mordecai when the time comes.
Because of her wise (religious?)
upbringing, Esther becomes critical
in foiling the plot—but it’s not easy.
Long story short (but you have to
read it), the tables are turned on
Haman. He is hanged on his own
gallows, the Jews of Persia are saved
(in the nick of time), Esther and
Mordecai inherit Haman’s property
and are even further honoured.
Vengeance then falls on those who
sought the Jews’ destruction. It’s
all very breathless. In the end, the
amazing deliverance is commemorated in the feast of Purim. But perhaps there’s a deeper perspective.
life is to proceed in his best interests (and at the Jews’ cost), and
Mordecai’s confidence that the
same unseen (divine) influence of
Esther’s upbringing is the same influence that guards life’s outcomes.
The question is whether you can
trust that and why—to do that, you
need to know the whole story of
Israel.
Haman wants to manipulate the
fates in his favour. He wants to
control life the same way he tried
to control the king. It’s a depiction
of paganism—how to control our
fate by the lottery ticket of our own
actions. And “fate” hangs Haman
on his own gallows. Mordecai and
Esther are also caught up in events
much bigger than they can control.
They make shrewd decisions to be
sure, but they leave the most room
for God’s initiative—grace it might
be said—a better perspective from
which to live life.
Theology - It’s an exciting tale and
explains an important festival. But
the theology of such a text...? It’s in
the reading! An important character seems to be missing—God
is never mentioned. Deliverance
occurs through a series of amazing
chances, slip-ups, miscues, dramatic
irony, choices, decisions, etc. Yet
behind it all lies a theological imperative—4:13–16. The theological
collision occurs between Haman’s
casting of lots to determine how
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Notes from the Convocation address given on behalf of Dr. Robert Kroetsch by Dr. Dawne McCance
Six Things I Learned at St John’s College
Perhaps this talk should be called What I Learned Again at St John’s College. One of the secrets of getting an education is learning to learn the same things over and over, each time with a variation, each time with attention to place
and time and occasion.
1. In Praise of Miracles
First off, graduating students, we
must remember that our years at
St John’s’ College were a kind of
miracle. Your years. And mine.
St John’s is a place of miracles.
2. In Praise of Idleness
Idleness frees the imagination.
Idleness, scientists tell us, liberates
the brain. In a world of information
overload, we wonder how to be creative. St John’s College is a rare and
miraculous place in that it teaches
creativity. Idleness is the place to
begin.
3. Loafing in the St John’s
Library
I tried St John’s wonderful library as
a place to be idle. I found it to be
ideal. I kept discovering remarkable,
inspiring books.
4. Loafing in Our Daily Bread
In the cafeteria, Our Daily Bread, I
saw the same event occurring over
dishes of spaghetti. In a classroom
a professor sees one version of a
student. Listening to the students
in the cafeteria, I became the eager
learner.
5. Loafing in the faculty lounge
Finally and at last I hit on the faculty
lounge as a place where I might
be idle. You’ll be amazed to learn
that that too is a place to be idle.
Our interdependence struck me.
Mathematicians and chemists.
Education professors and theologians. Anthropologists and geographers. What struck me first off was
their dedication to learning and
their concern for their students.
6. Professor McCance’s famous
talking dog
Professor McCance at one time had
a golden retriever named Willow.
That kindly professor, a philosopher herself, believed that Willow
spoke English fluently, read Jacques
Derrida in French, and had considerable acquaintance with the early
Greek of the New Testament. Willow,
unfortunately, now, is deceased, so
cannot bear witness. It was Willow
who reminded me that, over the
past twenty thousand years, the
human brain has been getting ever
smaller.
For the full Convocation address please visit our website: http://www.
umanitoba.ca/colleges/st_johns/
4
In Conclusion, those of you who
studied first-year English at St John’s
College will wonder at the structure
of this talk. But so be it. I will have
to end by breaking the rules. You
see, here is the bald truth: after all
my years of studying and writing
and teaching, even after my years in
St John’s College, I have come to no
conclusions. Thank you. Merci.
The Most Reverend James
Weisgerber awarded the Doctor
of Divinity degree
Laurie Anne Vermette ’10,
gave the What St John’s College Means to Me speech at the
Friends of St John’s College
Convocation Luncheon
J-Pin recipients John Singleton,
’70 and Ralph Taupe, ’70.
“I began looking into College life
back in 2005. I went from College
to College looking for this desired
community and this brought me
into the general office of St. John’s
College. I was met with the beautiful, caring, and intelligent smile of
Erin Palamer, and when I asked her
about the college, she spoke with
such knowledge and enthusiasm
that I was sold on the spot and
immediately registered. I know
now, that this was one of the best
choices that I have ever made.”
“St. John’s College has provided a
family of caring educators, whose
goal is to enable and empower the
growth of students academically,
socially, emotionally, and spiritually.
St. John’s educators and administrative staff serve as mentors for the
students here, providing positive
leadership, dedicated guidance, and
a “home away from home” feel.”
WINTER 2011
“While St. Johns may initially attract
students because of their expanse
of scholarships, bursaries, and
awards, I was attracted to join for
the community environment. There
is something to be said for becoming a member of a small community of learners where fellow students,
administration, and professors all
know your name, enjoy hearing
about your life (academically and
personally), and where your participation matters and is noticed.”
“St. John’s College provides students
a safe environment to be themselves, to learn, to grow, to flourish,
and to accomplish. In answering
LaurieAnne Vermette
J-Pin recipients Cicelyn Bartolo, ’60, Eric
Calrow’70 and his wife Margaret.
the question, “What does St. John’s College
mean to me?” my best answer is the word
family. A family is there to support you
regardless of your challenges and your
accomplishments… they laugh with you in
the good times, and listen to you and assist
in the tough times. The faculty, staff, and
students are all of these things to me, and
to each other. The true definition of
St John’s College is ‘home’.”
“And while I stand before you today, I know
that I will be a member of this community
for my entire life, just
as you have chosen to
continue your participation here well
beyond your academic
years. I will make that
same choice, now as a
student, and later as a
fellow, professor, and
one day as a scholarship donor. “
“Together, you
have inspired
me, more than
you can ever
know. “
5
Thank You 2010 Donors
Each year our donors generously support scholarships, bursaries, prizes/awards, endowment funds
and facilities, enhancing teaching and helping students reach their goals.
Friends & Alumni
All Charities Campaign
Peter Aitchison
Michael Allen
Neil Almdal
Willard & Sharon Anderson
Verda Andrew
Virginia Andrew
Gordon Baker
Eunice Band
Kim & Glenn Barrett
Margaret Barron
Rose Barton
Lynda Baxter
Ralph Baxter
Sue Beare
Ruth Bellan
Margaret Bellhouse
Berta Bembridge
Marlene Benson
Carolyn (Mackey) & Philip Berard
Gail Bichon
Theodor Bock
James Bockelmann
Rocklee Bogseth
Lee Booth
Penny Bowles
Arthur Braid
Dean Brooker
Russell Brown
June Bushell
Conrad Butler
Norman Cameron
Diane Campbell
Lorne Campbell
Mary Campbell
Canadian Dental Management Ltd.
Canadian Shield Foundation
Francis Carroll
George Chapman
Colin Chapman
Leanne Chase
Bruce Chegus
Joy Chranowski
Susan Close
Renata Cook
Dennis Cooley
Aileen Coran
Douglas Crane
Diana DeFoort
Lois Doig
Ada Ducas
Maureen Dunn Jewellers Ltd.
Gilbert Dutton
Neil Effler
George Ferguson
Janice Filmon
Kent & Karen Fowler
6
Jane Frain
William Fraser
Jacob Friesen
Gerald Friesen~
Ivan Froese
Trevor & Charlotte Fulcher
John & Dorothy Funnell
Marjorie Furber
Vera Gardner
Martin Gerwin
Marlene Giesbrecht
Dean Gooderham
Brian Grant
Fitz Griffith
Dane Hershberg
Joan Hill
Janet & Bill Hoskins
Miriam Hutton*
Janet Hyslop
Linda Hyslop
John Iredale
Lesley Iredale
Gretta Isaac
Vivian Isaacson
Investors Group Matching Gift
Program^
Elena Ivanitskaia
Jarvis Collegiate
Yong Xun Jin
Gwyneth Jones
Clara Keough
Ken Kikukawa
Mary Kinnear
Keith Knox
Maureen & Richard Kolodie
Robert Kroetsch
Paul Lampman & Heather Skublics
Hugh Larimer
Diane Ledo
Mary Liggett
Mary Lobb
Lee Luetkehoelter
Judith Mackey
Manitoba Scholarship & Bursary
Initiative^
Shelley Mahoney
Harridath Maniram
Elizabeth Markiewich
Kurt & Jackie Markstrom
Elizabeth Mason
Robert McGinnis
Faye McIntyre
Violet McKean
Lawrence McKean
Derek & Wendy McLean
Catherine Miller
Christine Morris
James Morrison
Cathy Mudry
Areen Mulder
Suzanne Munroe
Phyllis Northcott
Nova 3 Engineering Ltd.
Grace Nunn
Joyce Oblinski
Teresa Ostman
Judith Owens
Leanne Palamar & Jarred Baker
Erin* & Michael Palamar
Dorothy Palmer
Ellen Palmerton
Gordon Pawling
Barbara Payne*
Christine Penhall
Sylvia Philipps
PMC-Sierra Ltd (273424)^
Patricia Porteous
Geoffrey Pringle
Leslie Prizeman
Beth Proven
David Punter
Elisabeth Purslow
Muriel Quirk
C.D. Rannard
Carolyn & Ted Ransby
Margaret Reid
Cheryl Reid
Glen Ritchie
Lance Roberts
Eva Rogers*, Estate
Royal Astronomical Society of
Canada
Mike Runde
Alvin Runke
John Russell
St Andrew’s ACW (Woodhaven)
St John’s Students’ Association
Robert Schultz
Margaret Schurek
Olive Shepherd
Randy Sinnock
Helen Skinner
Robert Skinner*
Gordon Smedley
Shirlee Anne Smith
J.S.L. Smith
Gregory & Doreen Smith
Dougald & Marjorie Smith
Richard Smith
Marsha Steeds
Frederick Stewart
Tom Suffield
Joanne Sutherland
Robert S Thomas
Phyllis Trach
Christopher Trott
Felicity Trott
Basil Turner
Ursulines of St. Angela’s Convent
Isobel Utsler
Judith Valenzuela
Frances Van Walleghem
Mollie Viljoen
Jean Wastle
Nancy Weale
Judith Weil
Penelope Weir
Elnora Wiebe
Dana Wiebe
Wilfrid Laurier Univ (Press)
David Williams
Hope Wilmot
Kathleen Wormsbecker
Lynn Woycheshen
Patrick Wright
Anne Yanchyshyn
Elizabeth Yarmie
Elssie Zack
Danny Zeeuwen
Karl Zeeuwen
Fred Zeggil
Susan Zettler
Arlene Zettler
Graduates
John Bethel ‘42
Susann Monroe ‘47
Michael Hankinson ‘48
Mary Ann FitzGerald ‘49
Tom Thurlow ‘50
Rosemary Wallace ‘52
Patrick Lee* ‘53
James Allan ‘55
Robert & Vicki English ‘56
Bernard Beare ‘57
Ted & Edna Poulter Poulter ‘58
George Baldwin ‘59
Jane & Paul Gibson ‘59
Arnold Johnson ‘59
George Robb ‘59
Cicelyn Bartolo ‘60
Marilynne Keil ‘60
Arthur Millward ‘60
Wilma Shirriff “60
Mel Wiebe and Lola Cuddy “60
Douglas Rowland ‘61
David Blewett ‘62
David Bright ‘62
Dorthea Cutts ‘62
Joan Greatrex ‘62
Allan Smith ‘62
Anthony Waterman ‘62
Jocelyn Barnard ‘63
Donna Byrne ‘63
Ardis Calder ‘63
John Deacon ‘63
Two New Scholarships were awarded this year during
Convocation.
Hugh & Dawne Gordon ‘63 & ‘63
William Houston ‘63
Nancy & Brian Kenny ‘63 & ‘63
Bert Smith ‘63
Gordon & Lynne Tovell ‘63 & ‘65
Judy Waters ‘63
Robert Best ‘64
Barbara Black Peden ‘64
Alice Cheatley ‘64
Malcolm Neill ‘64
Hugh Spencer ‘64
Stirling Walkes ‘64
Penny Yakimik ‘64
Richard Harbeck ‘65
David Jackson ‘65
Ross McIntosh ‘65
Donald F. Thompson ‘65
Brian Webb ‘65
Warren Cooper ‘66
Ian Drummond ‘66
Harold Averill ‘67
Garth Bulmer ‘67
Charles Johnston ‘67
Donald Smith ‘67
Robert Webster ‘67
Richard Boyd ‘68
Irene Palmer ‘68
Robert Dojack ‘69
Nancy & Ken Turnbull ‘69
Louise Carson ‘70
William Coke ‘70
Jack Harris ‘70
Beverly Kyle ‘70
George Sigurdson ‘70
Harvey & Lee Teal ‘69 &’70
Erica Devlin ‘72
Robert Hawkins ‘72
Edwin Cotton ‘73
Barbara Nicolson ‘73
Ernest Bratko ‘74
Jane McMullen ‘76
Heather Richardson ‘76
James Ripley ‘76
Mark & Vicki Truman ‘76 & ‘77
Douglas Fenton ‘77
Karen Smith ‘77
Bruce Ward ‘77
Christopher Jensen ‘78
Joan McConnell ‘78
Stephen Sharman ‘78
Peter Tilley 78
Allan Lew ‘79
William & Debby Towill ‘79 & ‘79
Jillian Welch ‘79
Gladys Spurll ‘80
Ernest Cholakis ‘82
Peter Somers ‘83
Leslie Wiens ‘83
WINTER 2011
Kathleen Beatson ‘84
Katherine Lindsay-Olfert ‘84
Alison Lynch ‘84
Jeffrey McLaren ‘86
Donald Meen ‘86
Michael Bonar ‘87
Blair Chapman ‘87
Joseph Ball ‘88
Eric Bertram ‘89
Philip Penner ‘89
Scott & Carrie Evenson ‘90
Pamela Poulter Friesen ‘90
Mitch Davies ‘91
Kathryn & Robert Young ‘91
John Burgess ‘92
Ian Hyslop ‘92
Corinne Topham ‘92
Takashi Yamashita ‘92
Paul Gustafson ‘93
John & Angela McLean ‘93
Darran Love ‘95
Louise Cornell ‘97
Paul Cobban ‘98
David Ebert ‘02
Jordan Miller ‘02
Lori Williams-Stroich ‘02
Marcus Steeds ‘03
John & Jill Stafford ‘05
Daniel Draper ‘10
Jarett Myskiw ‘10
~ Includes a Gift in Kind
* Deceased
^ Matching Gifts
Donations have been received
in memory of:
Eleanor Amy
Wendy Hanson
Keith McKean
Erin Palamar
Barbara Payne
Henry Wikdahl
Donations have been received
in honour of:
Dennis Cooley
Ian Park
Ted & Edna Poulter
Muriel Quirk
Harley Shepherd was the first recipient of the CAE Jensen
Scholarship .
Collena Ridler was the first recipient of the Erin Palamar
Bursary in Nursing.
Whilst every effort is made to
ensure the accuracy of this list we
do occasionally make mistakes.
Please accept our apologies for
any errors or omissions.
Granddaughter of Warren and Jocelyn Bernard ’63,
Aleethia Mackay, received the Ted and Edna Poulter
Scholarship. Ted is a grad of ’58.
7
Legacy Gifts to the
College received in 2010
Over the past year we were sad to say farewell to several members of the St John’s Community
who had remembered St John’s College in their will.
Just before she lost her battle with cancer Erin Kolodie Palamar set up the Erin Palamar Bursary
in Nursing. Donations from family and friends allowed us to award the first bursary this past
September. Jordan Miller, 02 had this to say about Erin’s generosity “I am not surprised this is how
she (Erin) wanted people to support students she cared so much for”.
Robert C. McGinnis, left a bequest in his will to augment the bursary set up in memory of his
son R. Kelly McGinnis ’83, who passed away in 1999.
Dr. Miriam Hutton, Honorary Fellow, passed away in December 2009. Miriam wanted to support
the College and left a bequest to the General Endowment Fund.
Robert Skinner, Robert lived in Residence whilst attending the UofM during the early 1970s.
Robert’s bequest was to the General Endowment Fund.
R. Keith McKean, ’61, passed away in February 2010. Violet, his wife, knew how much the
College meant to the Venerable R. Keith McKean and made a donation to the General Endowment
Fund out of his estate.
The Right Reverend Patrick Vaughan Lee, ’53 passed away on Sunday, 26th September.
Patrick had made the College the beneficiary of a life insurance policy. The funds were used to
augment the Mary and Patrick Lee Bursary which was created in 2004.
If you wish to create a legacy please talk to your family about your intentions, contact us so that
we can work together to design your legacy and get in touch with your lawyer and financial advisor to find out what is best for you and your estate.
Thank you to the following who are leaving a legacy to St John’s College:
Jocelyn ‘63 & Warren Barnard
Ellen Basler ‘71
Bill Battershill* ‘51
Karen ‘81 & Bob Binding
Roy Bowkett ‘66
Norman Cameron
Alice Cheatley ‘64
Nancy (Bole) Cullen ‘64
Marjorie Dance* ‘47
John Deacon ‘63
Keith Eastwood*
Martin Gerwin
Diane Guilford
Marika Janovcik Harsanyi ‘84
Elena Ivanitskaia
Ruth (Wells) Goring Johnston ‘34
Karen Kristjanson
Derek McLean
Orde Morton ‘61
Geoff ‘67 & Susan (Bartley) Norquay ‘67
Grace Nunn
Susanne Palmer
Barbara Black Peden’64
William Pickering
Edna Poulter
Muriel Quirk
Eva Rogers*
Douglas Rowland ‘61
George Sigurdson ‘70
Y.Christine Smith
Marjorie (Webster) Ward
Ron ‘68 and Janice Wasik
Anthony Waterman
Brian Webb
Terry Wiens
Joan Williams
If you would like information on how to make a planned gift to the College,
including possible phrases for your will, please contact St John’s College at
(204) 474-8531.
8
A 90 Hour
Challenge from
the Winnipeg
Foundation
From the Chapel
The original design for the Chapel called for a Christus Rex to hang over
the east end of the chapel over the altar. With a generous donation from
A.M.C. Waterman, ’63 the Christus Rex has been commissioned and a
dedication service will take place at the Chapel on Sunday, 1st May, 2011.
All are welcome to attend.
Over the past several months several couples decided to tie the knot in
St John’s Chapel.
The College has an endowed fund which
is held by the Winnipeg Foundation and
funds disbursed annually to the College
go into operating costs. To celebrate
their 90th anniversary the Winnipeg
Foundation has announced a 90 Hour
Challenge. An online donation made
through the Winnipeg Foundation to the
St John’s College Fund will be matched
by the Foundation! The 90 hours begin
at 6am on 18th April, 2011 and end at
midnight on the 21st April. Funds will
be matched twice – once through the
Foundations regular matching gift programme and once through this unique
challenge! Gifts to this fund will be used
to support the area where the need is
greatest. You can access the 90 Hour
Challenge through our website www.
umanitoba.ca/colleges/stjohns
Daughter of our Dean of Theology John Stafford, ‘05 and his wife Jillian,
Laura Stafford married Gerry Pacheco on May 1, 2010. And, on the 10th
October, 2010 John and Jill’s other daughter, Fiona Stafford exchanged
vows with Hermann Fuchsmeier!
Dragica Mrasvic and Wade Morrison celebrated their Hungarian wedding
with a blessing in the Chapel for their Canadian friends and families.
Regular Sunday service is held in the chapel at 10.30am. You are welcome
to attend.
And from the Daily Bread Café
Since April 2010, as well as providing three buffet meals a day for St John’s Rezzies, our food services team, have catered 287 events and provided over 38,000 meals in the Daily Bread Café and served close to 20,000
people at Espresso 101!
So why not consider our catering services for your next event! Our
professional, friendly food service staff can create a customized menu to
suit your event. Receptions, snacks, luncheons, or banquets are arranged
and prepared on site. We can even cater off site events too. For full menu
options and more information visit the website at www.dailybreadcafe.ca
WINTER 2011
9
Faculty/ Staff News
A sad farewell
Voyage to “Where
There is No Suffering”
For brave Erin Palamar,
by Karen E. Smith
This sad day of launch
into the next
in waves of memory
we read her final words that give us
release
“Do not be sad for me as I am going
home
to meet My Maker where there is no
suffering.”
pray, recall opalescence she urges us
to carry that twinkle
from the lighthouse of her
left on
at the bottom
of our
hearts.
For those who die young
are those
that have formed pearls in our hearts,
of the deepest love
that have passed them on to us
as the gift of forever
which floats
mellifluously
at the bottom
of the ocean’s
soul.
Erin Kolodie Palamar, staff member of the College for 18 years lost
her fight with cancer on the 24th
May, 2010.
Fellow Barbara Payne, passed
away from cancer on the 17th
September, 2010.
Stayed Tuned: A farewell tea is being planned! Janet Hoskins’ term as
Warden and Vice-Chancellor of
St John’s College, is completed on
the 30th June, 2011. A date for the afternoon reception will be announced
shortly. We will let you know!
Chris Trott, Dean of Studies and
Terry Reilly were married in Toronto
last May.
Retired Fellow Francis Carroll
was invited to be the Burns Library
Visiting Scholar in Irish Studies at
Boston College for the fall term.
Congratulations to Susan Close
who was awarded the Carl Nelson
Jr. Teaching Award from the Faculty
of Architecture. As well Susan was
granted tenure at the University of
Manitoba.
We gave a big welcome to the following new staff members – Sherry
Peters, starting immediately after convocation on the 8th November as
Registrar and Confidential Secretary to the Warden, Sean Taubner, who
started in September as the Dean of Residence and Amy Craddock, who
joined us in July as Receptionist.
10
Have you listed to Campus Cast
lately? Campus Cast is semiweekly
podcast produced by the University
of Manitoba that allows researchers
to talk freely about their work. Two
of our fellows have been featured in
this intriguing UofM podcast. Fellow
Len Kuffert shares a tale about a
ghostly mongoose, a family and
the BBC radio in A Tale from Radio’s
History: A Mongoose Haunting.
Whilst Fellow Kurt Markstrom’s
talk was entitled For Those About to
Rock, We Salute Bach which asked
the question Could rock and roll
exist if Johann Sebastian Bach never
composed?
And from the
publishing world:
The UofM Press announced three
of its authors were winners at the
Manitoba Book Awards: Two of
these authors are St John’s College
fellows.
Fellow Rod Clifton along with
Michael Zwaagstra and John Long
launched their book What’s Wrong
with Our Schools and How We Can
Fix Them at McNally Robinson.
Barry Ferguson and Robert
Wardhaugh had a McNally Robinson
launch of their book Manitoba
Premiers of the Nineteenth and
Twentieth Centuries last Fall.
“Prairie Metropolis: Essays on
Winnipeg Social History” edited by
Esyllt Jones and Gerald Friesen
won the Carol Shields City of
Winnipeg Award. This award recognizes the book that most contributes to the understanding and
appreciation of life in Winnipeg.
WINTER 2011
Dr. Anthony Waterman and Dr. Geoffrey Brennan.
The College was delighted to host the Knight Lecture in September 2010
when visiting professor Geoffrey Brennan delivered the “Why Global
Warming Might Just Be a Solvable Problem – but don’t Count on It!” Knight
Lecture.
The College hosted several conferences over the fall months including
Place and Replace: A joint Meeting of Western Canadian Studies and St
John’s College Prairies Conference, Fellows involved in the planning of
this conference include Warren Cariou, Dennis Cooley, Gerry Friesen,
Esyllt Jones, and Adele Perry.
The Sound of laughter is my favourite sound, so said, Tomson Highway
during the 27th Annual Marjorie Ward
Lecture held on 21st October, 2010.
Over 100 people were in attendance
as Tomson Highway gave a lecture
on “Comparing Mythologies”.
11
Alumni/Student News
Johnian Woody (Robert) Milroy
climbed Mt. Blanc in the Alps in
June of 2010. Woody made it
alright but one member of his party
had to be airlifted out!
John E. Bethel, attended SJC
from ’39 to ’42 but still remembers
the College Yell “-Je hee je haw St.
John’s College raw raw raw “!
Former staffer and Honorary Fellow
Marjorie Ward celebrated her 90th
birthday in style. Penny Venables
reports it was a wonderful event
and Marjorie was well honoured.
Johnians in attendance included
The Most Reverend Dr. David
Crawley’ 58, The Venerable Allan
Reed’66, The Very Reverend Dr.
Jack Greenhalgh, ‘60 and The
Reverend Doug Hodgkinson, ’62.
The Right Reverend Dr. David
Carter, ’58, emailed us just after
the funeral for Patrick Lee, ’53,
to share the following thoughts:
As you are so aware - the ‘terrible
threesome’ (David, Patrick and Jim
Allan, ’55) loved/loves St John’s
College and have always been in
awe of its historic past. It’s influence through all of its students has
spread far and wide - ever since
it’s small beginnings. The influence
across the prairies and the arctic
has had obvious and subtle influence known only to God. As Senior
Stick I well remember sitting in the
Warden’s office to receive a lecture
about how the Fifty Flat roof had
been used to lob water filled balloons upon the Wee Free Church of
Scotland members who were using
the college for Sunday afternoon
worship.
Access to the roof was via my
room… I will not disclose at
this time who was the one who
launched the water bomb which
barely missed the Wee Free folk… .
Actually, we did study in addition
to playing all sports - our college
teams recycled most of us, as we
were short of bodies. So many
memories flooded back at the
funeral - both of my ordinations
were there, my Dad preached at
the second, I’d been privileged to
12
preach there twice…the last time I
did, Pat and Mary were there… .Of
course Jim and I recalled happy days
of the college members processing
about the Cathedral… ’For all the
saints… .’
John Deacon, ’63 continues his
globe-trotting and tells us, having
just got back from Libya, that he has
visited 169 countries out of a total of
194 plus 45 dependencies such as
Gibraltar, Greenland, Aruba, etc. Next
on his travel agenda is Sardinia and
Corsica!
Our very own Brad and Angelina Warren and Jocelyn Barnard ’63,
appear in the first few minutes of the
movie, Shadow Island, shot at Falcon
Lake late 2009.
Mary Kerr, ’66, currently a theatre
professor at the University of Victoria
was recently elected to the Royal
Society of Canada. Mary’s costume
and set designs have won her many
nominations and awards!
Heather MacKenzie, ’70, has
published The Autistic Child’s Guide
To How To Behave, it outlines an
innovative programme for teaching
self-regulation of behavior, thinking
and emotions to young children on
the autism spectrum.
The Rev. Stephen Sharman, ‘78
retired from St Andrew’s parish,
Diocese of Rupert’s Land and the active ministry of the Anglican Church
of Canada at the end of June 2010.
Four Courts Press, Dublin, published
a volume of essays, Adomnan of
Iona, edited by Jonathan Wooding.
One of the essays “Visions of Divine
Light in the Writings of Adomnan
and Bede’ was written by The Rev.
Stephen Sharman.
Born on the 15th June, 2010, William
John Franklin Kirk, to James ’97 and
Rebecca ’98 Kirk.
Sara Kriendler, ’99, received the
Harkness Associate Award last summer. As a recipient of this award,
given to two Canadians annually,
Dr. Kreindler stated on the UofM
website that “this is a unique opportunity to become part of a community of scholarship that is grappling
with the big issues in healthcare
reform. Gaining a broader, international perspective will increase
the contribution I can make to the
health-system improvement here in
Manitoba.” This continues a tradition
of high achievement for Sara – she
was a Rhodes Scholar.
Jordan Miller, ’02, co-founded
cre8ery in 2007 located in the
Winnipeg Exchange district, cre8ery
incorporates a main gallery, which
anyone can rent for a one to two
week show, a hallway gallery and
offers art classes.
Rebecca Warkentin (nee Siemens),
’02 married Shaun A. Warkentin,
B.CSc. Hons., 2004 on September 26,
2010.
Former rezzie Jennifer Ruch ‘04
married Clint Syrowitz.
Congratulations to Tolulope
Sodeyi, ‘08 who has just been
accepted into graduate school in
Montreal.
WINTER 2011
Fall barbecue was a time for staff and students to connect over lunch.
A tradition of Excellence at St John’s College: Congratulations to Johnians
Melissa Bailey and Jody Reimer, this year’s Rhodes Scholars. Two incredible young ladies! There have been approximately 14 Rhodes Scholars from
St John’s College dating back to 1907. Jillian Welch, ’79 was one of the
first female Rhodes Scholars.
Heather Wilton ‘10, Animal
Science undergraduate student,
won the third-place award
(of 5,000 registrants) for the
Canadian regional competition
for the Alltech Young Scientist
Award. Heather is now in Vet
school and in her spare time
raises sheep!
13
In Memoriam
’47 Marjorie Dance, passed
away on the 9th August, 2010 not
too long after celebrating her 95th
birthday.
David Carter ‘58 and Jim Allan ‘ 55
attend the funeral of The Right Reverend
Patrick Vaughan Lee ‘ 53.
’53 The Right Reverend Patrick
Vaughan Lee, Patrick was the retired Anglican Bishop of the Diocese
of Rupert’s Land and as such was
Chancellor of St John’s College.
David Carter had this to say about
our former Chancellor: “The funeral
was a fitting farewell for a fine man we’d been friends since September
1954. As ‘denizens’ of the Fifty Flat
on Broadway, Pat, Jim Allan and I
have been ‘brothers’. Interestingly
enough each of us won the James
Frost Cross Award; each was a Senior
Stick; each became the Dean of
a Cathedral (Calgary, Kamloops,
Regina); the two of them became
Bishops…therefore they had
‘episcopal thrones’..as for me I had
to sit upon the ‘Chair’ in the Alberta
Legislature…many parallels shared
with great love and respect together
with lots of God given laughter… .
After I wheeled dear Jim to place
his hand and mine in blessing/farewell on Pat’s casket - I whispered to
Mary ‘That’s the Fifty Flat blessing…”
14
’51 G. William Battershill, Sr,
passed away on 9th September,
2010. Bill was a graduate of
St John’s College School before
attending the College. He set
up the Helen and Bill Battershill
Scholarship and the George W.
Battershill Scholarship.
’58 The Revd Frederick Lynch
passed away in June 2009.
’61 Harold Sampson, passed
away on 23rd September, 2010.
’66 Nicholas Laping passed away
in February 2009.
’68 D. Craig Lennox passed away
in May 2009.
’82 Sharon Lee, daughter of
Patrick and Mary Lee, Sharon
passed away from cancer on
Sunday, 26th December, 2010.
Friend Nancy Weale, aunt of
Twila Thompson, ‘68. Nancy
passed away in November 2010.
Friend and brother of former Warden Laurie Wilmot,
Archibald Campbell Wilmot,
passed away on the 14th October,
2010 at the age of 104.
Friend and mother of Susan
Hornshaw ’71, Bernice
Hornshaw, passed away on 20th
July, 2010.
Grandmother to graduates,
Sunita Sukhan ’00 and Subhadra
Sukhan ’03, Shakuntala
Sukhan, passed away in June
2010.
Mother of Richard Palmer ’67,
Mabel Palmer passed away in
April 2010.
Friend The Revd Canon R.
Gregg Armstrong, passed away
in June 2009.
Friend Patricia Gordon Condo,
died on 5th November, 2010.
Honorary Fellow The Hon. Dr.
Duff Roblin, passed away on
the 30th May, 2010.
Friend Patricia Everett, aunt of
William M. Everett ’68, passed away
on the 19th May 2010.
Wife of Jack Rogers, theology
grad of ’32, Eva Rogers passed
away in August 2010.
Friend Keith Eastwood, passed
away on the 12th October, 2010.
Keith had established the Donnie
Eastwood Memorial Bursary at the
College in remembrance of his first
wife.
Honorary Fellow, Frank Wiens,
passed away in May 2010.
From Halloween
to the Christmas
Banquet…
Corn maize.
Christmas Banquet .
WINTER 2011
15
At the Museum…
St John’s
College
16
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