NEWS

ROBERT ’48 and ANN SPENCE’S 75th wedding anniversary

We received this lovely update and photo from Sandy Spence, the granddaughter of two Trinity alumni:

“My grandparents, Bob and Ann Spence (Robert G. Spence and C. Ann Spence) met on their first day at UofT, on the way to line up at Trinity College. Grandfather graduated in 1948 (he was away at the Second World War for two years in the middle of his degree). After one year at Trinity, Grandmother moved to the Toronto General Hospital nursing program and became a Registered Nurse. They will both be turning 99 this year!

Their 75th wedding celebration on June 12 was lovely, with family and family friends coming in from Quebec and England. My grandparents have three sons, eight grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren, most of whom were at the party (with spouses attending too, of course).”

 

ADAM WAKEFIELD ’03

Adam Wakefield ’03 married Hailey McCaig on August 24, 2022. An intimate celebration with immediate family members was held at their recreational property on Shawanaga Lake in the Municipality of Whitestone. A private reception with extended family was held in Wyvale in Tiny Township on August 27, 2022.

ELLIOT GUNN ’16

Elliot won the Global Essay Competition at the 52nd St. Gallen Symposium in Switzerland in May for his essay “Restoring the Radical Promise of Universal Healthcare,” in which he examined publicly funded health care systems in Canada and the U.K. He is a current Masters of Economic History student at The London School of Economics and Political Science, and managing editor of the International Journal, which is co-run by the Bill Graham Centre and the Canadian International Council. He credits his education at Trinity College for imparting a strong foundation in looking at historically significant events through an interdisciplinary lens.

 

POSTCARDS FROM REUNION

We asked for your updates at Spring Reunion 2023, and you did not disappoint!

MARY MURAKAMI KITAGAWA ’59, Hon. DSL ’22 and NANCY GRAHAM ’58 and their spouses had their own version of Trinity Reunion when they caught up over tea in May in Vancouver. They shared this photo of the occasion.

 

 

 

ROSEMARY CLEWES ’58

On June 11, 2023, I launched my sixth book of poetry, titled Rain on My Skin, at Fairlawn United Church in Toronto.

HEATHER MALLETT ’58

My memoir, Valiant Be: A memoir of fortitude in the face of adversity, was published by Friesen Press in March 2023. The cover illustration is from one of my father’s paintings—he was A. Angus Macdonald, who also attended Trinity almost 100 years ago. Growing up in a gristmill was not without its perils. There are many short stories about school, university, summer camp, tripping, mothering … it was an exciting adventure to write!

BARBARA COLLIER BLACKBURN ’63

After living in Europe for many years, I returned to Toronto in 1975 to join the Canadian Opera Company, and performed in operas, oratorios and concerts throughout North America. A chance encounter in 1981 with Dr. Richard Blackburn ’62, whom I had not seen in 20 years, led a few years later to a partnership, then marriage in 1990. We enjoyed living in downtown Toronto but moved to Stratford in 2005, when Richard retired after 42 years of teaching Arabic and Ottoman History at UofT. We had a wonderful life together, did a lot of travelling, including an annual stay on magical Manitoulin Island. I started to teach singing from my home studio, and we became quite involved in the community. Since Richard’s death in 2020, I continue to teach, volunteer through the church, and belong to a few interest groups. Through teaching, I interact with younger people, which is refreshing but I am also pleased to still be in contact with some of my Trinity friends of 6T3. 

MIRANDA DAVIES ’63

Three years ago I moved to Stuart Court, a delightful retirement estate in Minchinhampton near Stroud, Gloucestershire, that has spacious grounds, old trees, flocks of crows, and lovely flower beds, with wisteria and climbing roses. I belong to a reading group and co-ordinate a music appreciation group for Stroud University of the Third Age. I’m looking forward to a visit next August from my old primary school friend from Peterborough, John (Trinity 6T3) and Tessa Whyte. I still drive and tootle around this lovely countryside, and went at Easter to the Corse Lawn House Hotel north of Gloucester. I still have a weekly Pilates lesson, though my walks are short now. I do love living in this beautiful part of the Cotswolds and enjoy a climate that produces snowdrops so early in the spring.

JOHN COOMBS ’68

I am living beside a lake outside of Perth, Ontario, still practising integrative medicine half-time. I am focused on unraveling chronic complex illness, including reversal of childhood autism spectrum disorder and chronic Lyme disease. It seems that nothing is simple anymore: the more we discover, the more complex things become, so trying to keep up keeps the brain active.

CHRIS ROBINSON ’73

I retired in 2021 as professor emeritus of Finance and senior scholar at York University. I am still researching topics like stochastic financial planning, sociology and professionalization of financial planning, financial counselling and robo-advising. The sixth edition of my co-authored (with Kwok Ho) textbook, Personal Financial Planning was released in 2022. I am CFO of the Green Party of Ontario, Don Valley West riding, and a member of the Consumer Advisory Panel of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario. I enjoy playing competitive bridge, cycling, hiking, camping. Separated, I have two grown sons, in Calgary and Collingwood.

CHRYSANNE DI MARCO ’76

I retired from the Cheriton School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo  several years ago and have been very happy with life in my retirement residence. I have time to catch up on reading and movies and have recently discovered the TV series “House”. I was immediately smitten and am now working my way through eight years of amazing episodes.

DAN COOPERSTOCK ’78

I sold my software business last year, and am still working for the new owners, somewhat part-time.

FRED KINGSTON ’78

I retired at the end of 2022 after nine (9) years as the Executive Secretary of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO). NAFO is an international intergovernmental organization that manages the international fishery in the international waters of the Northwest Atlantic beyond the jurisdiction of Canada, Greenland, France (on behalf of St. Pierre et Miquelon), the U.K. (Bermuda) and the U.S.A. I am living in Halifax.

SUSAN DRAGAN ’83

After over 30 fulfilling years in Canada’s Foreign Service, I completed my final posting (Geneva) and retired in February 2023.

IAIN MORTON ’83

I have been working and living in Dubai, UAE, for the past four years, and not able to get back to Toronto in June. I am currently the General Counsel for Accor, a global operator of hotels, for the Middle East, Africa and Turkey region, having left Toronto where I held the same position for North America.

GARY NICOLOSI ’83

My third book, titled Strength in Adversity: Lessons from the Book of Job, was published in February. This book is a pastoral commentary on Job and a series of theological reflections on understanding and coping with suffering. My previous book, A Concise History of the Book of Common Prayer, has become a popular resource for parish study groups, newcomers and confirmation classes.

GRAEME GARRARD ’88

I’m Professor of Politics at Cardiff University in the U.K., where I have been since graduating from Balliol College, Oxford in 1995. My latest book (my fourth), The Return of the State: And Why It Is Essential to Our Health, Wealth and Happiness, was published in 2022 by Yale University Press.

SARA ALLAN ’91

I am still enjoying my role as Director of U.S. Education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. I was thrilled to celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary with my husband, Clive Cook, in Tuscany with Trin 9T1 alums Margaret Sims, Tassie Cameron and Leslie Ann Dominy, and UC 9T1 alums Kira Heineck and Kathy Stewart.

JOHANNA (MYYRA) BLOM ’93

I fulfilled a childhood dream of studying in Israel and graduated summa cum laude in the class of 2022 at Reichman University, with a Masters in Government, Specialization in Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security (or my take: Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights). I continue to milk a little more out of this experience by working toward adding a thesis so I can continue to live the dream in Israel a little longer…

DAG SPICER ’93

Celebrating nearly 30 years at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California–the heart of Silicon Valley. I began at the museum after leaving the Stanford PhD program in history with some retired computing pioneers who had done well in technology and took a small personal computer collection, which no one ever saw, into the world’s single largest collection of computing artifacts–seen now by millions in person and online. We now have three buildings, including a 120,000 ft² main campus, a warehouse, and an archives, and receive over 200,000 visitors a year. I think of Trinity nearly every day, even now… it was such an oasis to explore the life of the mind and laid the foundation for me to pursue my dreams. After the struggle, the crown!

LARISA GALAZDA ’94

I am nearing the end of my four-year stint as Canada’s Ambassador to Ukraine (2019-2023).

ANDREA LIM-SIT ’03

Since graduating OT3 from Trinity College, UofT, I went on to complete my Masters of Art at Queen’s University, and then completed my LL.B. at Windsor Law. I am currently a Partner at Dutton Brock LLP in Toronto; President of the Canadian Defence Lawyers 2022-23, which is a national organization for civil defence lawyers across Canada; and incoming first vice president of the Medico-Legal Society of Toronto. I also co-authored the Annotated Statutory Accident Benefits, which is an annual publication. I have been married to my husband, Edward (an OT4 graduate of University College, UofT) for nearly 12 years. Together we have two wonderful children, Austen and Eva.

JEREMY “DUKE” BURMAN ’04

I was elected a Fellow of the American Psychological Association in two divisions: developmental psychology (division 7) and history of psychology (division 26).

ALIRAZA ASRANI ’18

I graduated from Law school in 2021, and am currently working as an international tax specialist in Québec City.

 

DEATHS

Our deepest condolences go to the families, friends and classmates of these members of the Trinity community.

ALLORE, John Joseph ’87

BARNES, Rev’d Dr. Ronald Leslie ’60

BURGESS, Audrey ’48

CHANG-HIM, Archbishop French ’75, Hon. DD ’91

CORBETT, Gail ’66

EAYRS, Elizabeth ’49

GOODAY, Frances ’67

MACRAE, Rev’d Arthur William Meredith Jaques ’56

MACKENZIE, Sheila Ambrose Higgins ’48

NEILSON: Elizabeth Frances Steele Pettifer ’50

TOFF, Alan Joseph ’64

WADDAMS, Stephen Michael ’63

 

Do you have news to share? Let us know here or email alumni@trinity.utoronto.ca

As published in the June 2023 Living Trinity Newsletter.