Full Obituary listing

Dr. Steve Radin, MD’59, beloved husband, father, grandfather, friend and surgeon, passed away peacefully at home at the age of 78 on March 18, 2010. Steve was a loving husband and father, a skilled and dedicated surgeon, a devout Christian, and in his spare time an avid gardener. He is much loved by his wife Dorothy, his three sons, Steven, Bradley, and Dale, his daughters-in-law AiLinh Trinh (Steven) and Dr. Stephanie Young (Bradley), and his grandchildren Noah and Gavin (Steven), and Claire, Paige, and Andrew (Bradley). Steve had many fond memories of Western, where not only did he complete his medical and surgical training but also met Dorothy Torrance, the operating room nurse who became the love of his life. He was a caring surgeon in the city of Windsor for 36 years; Dr. Radin was Chief of Surgery for 17 years, first at Windsor Regional Hospital and then at Grace Hospital, where he was well loved by the nurses and staff for his kindness. Steve is a past President of the Essex County Medical Society as well as the Southwestern Ontario Surgical Association. Steve was also interested in sports medicine, having served as a ring-side physician in both boxing and wrestling; in particular he was a member of the Canadian delegation in the 1972 and 1976 Olympics - one of Steve’s most cherished moments was walking into the Olympic stadium with the Canadian Olympic Team as a physician at the 1972 Munich Olympics.    

 

Charles C. Mark, LLB’62, Q.C., died unexpectedly on April 13, 2010, but surrounded by friends. Survived by his wife Rebecca West, his children Christopher (Meredith Fr ye), Katherine (Peter) Kennedy, Rebeccah, and seven grandchildren. He also leaves behind his brothers John (Susan) and Michael, and his nieces and their families. He will also be remembered by his former wife Katy. Charles was called to the Bar in 1964 and practised litigation in Toronto, retiring only last year. Condolences and memories may be forwarded through www.humphreymiles.com  

 

Thomas William McCalden, HBA’63, MBA, CA, died May 4, 2010 in Peterborough, Ontario. Tom was the loved husband of Clair Findlay. Loving father of David McCalden and his wife Libby, Peter McCalden and Catherine Albinet and her husband Ron. He will be missed by his grandchildren - Sarah and Alex McCalden; Levi McCalden; James, Shauna, Celine and Jon Albinet. He will also be remembered by his sister Eleanor Doney and her husband Bruce. Family arrangements have been made.  

 

Susan Timar (nee Szekely) BA’64 (Mathematics), passed away on Monday, June 23, 2008 at Mt. Sinai Hospital, after a long illness. Susan Timar, who was 67 has been sadly missed by Helga Ingard (also since deceased); children Cary, Ted, Niki and Julianne; brother and sister-in-law Andrew and Judith Sanders. Susan is greatly missed by John Timar, and countless other relatives, friends, students, and former colleagues. Her passing leaves painful void.    

 

Dr. Edwin John Franczak, MD’66, CCFP, Family Physician in Agincourt, Ontario for 43 years. After a wonderful life of 72 years, Edwin sadly lost his battle with cancer on Thursday, May 27, 2010 at Scarborough General Hospital. He will be forever loved and cherished by his best friend and wife Olga, his children Michael (Monique), Stephen (Nancy) and Susan. Granddaughters Alexandra and Victoria will miss their special 'Grapes'. Ed will be deeply missed by his brothers Henry (Barbara), Donald (Monica) and Richard (Lee) and sister- in-law Sonja (Bernard) Bowden. He was a fantastic uncle to Cindy (Craig), Wendy (Glen), David, Alexa, Brian, Andrew, Mark (Rose) and Philip (Jen). Remembered always by his many cousins. We cannot express how deeply Ed himself will miss and be missed by all the lives he touched - his family, his many friends, his colleagues, and many patients. He truly loved life and all those around him.    

 

Andres Jaaku, BSc’66, died suddenly on January 3, 2010, in his 66th year.  When he graduated from Western Andres received the Raymond Compton Dearle Gold Medal for Honors Physics and Mathematics. He went on to obtain a MSc in Physics as well as a BEd and  MEd, all from the University of Toronto.  Andres retired in 1999 after a long and successful teaching career with the Scarborough Board of Education.  He is survived by his wife, Ellen (Rice) Jaaku, sister-in-law, Lee Ann Rice and brothers-in-law, Brian and Stephen Rice.    

 

Bruce Shiga, BEd’68 (Althouse), died unexpectedly while vacationing in Cozumel, Mexico. Beloved husband of Mary (Fitzsimmons), BSc’68. Loving father of John (Jenny Acton) of Ottawa and David (Maggie McKee) of Boston. Bruce was a retired principal of York Catholic Separate School Board and had served on the executives of a number of boards and agencies as a volunteer with the Retired Teachers of Ontario, Catholic Family Services of York Region, Toronto Japanese Language School, Our Lady of Grace Parish (Aurora).    

 

Robin Hollis Robarts, BA’75 (Political Science), passed away April 22 gently in the loving arms of her husband, Stephen Jeffrey, following a heroic battle with cancer. Robin was adored by her stepchildren John Paul, Jennifer and David Jeffrey, and Matthew Wright. Amazing daughter-in-law of Paul and Jane Jeffrey, and sister-in-law of Campbell and Jennifer Deacon, fun aunt of Jeffrey (Krista), J.C. and Gillian. Robin was predeceased by her parents, the Honourable John P. and Norah Robarts, and brother Tim. Also predeceased by her mother Kathryn Duncan and leaves sisters Kathy (Michael MacNeil) and Jean (Wayne Doan), and aunt Jean Sonmore and uncle Regan Devine, aunt Eleanor Robarts and cousin Andrea Robarts. Robin will be fondly missed by goddaughters Carly Campbell and J. Chandler Rumble. Born in London, Ont., Robin was educated at Miss Matthews, The Bishop Strachan School, Toronto, Central Collegiate, London, Canadian Junior College, Lausanne, Switzerland and graduated from the University of Western, Ontario. Robin wore many hats ­ as a real estate agent with Bosley, a partner at Claxtons Clothier, a buyer for the Bay, and a pilot. Beloved member of the Canastas, her bridge group and Pi Beta Phi.    

 

Western alumnus and Royal Canadian Regiment Colonel Geoff Parker, BESc’90, was killed May 18 in Afghanistan after an insurgent detonated a vehicle borne improvised explosive device between the convoy of vehicles in Kabul at approximately 8 a.m. Afghanistan time. At the time of his death, Parker, 42, was in Kabul as part of a NATO team preparing for their upcoming mission. He is the highest-ranking member of the Canadian Forces to die in Afghanistan since the mission began in 2002.  

 

Faculty & Staff  

 

Margaret Amelia Banks Peacefully at Parkwood Hospital surrounded by her good friends Marianne Welch and Marg VanDaalen, on Thursday, April 29, 2010, Margaret Amelia Banks in her 82nd year. Margaret was the former Law Librarian and a professor emerita at The University of Western Ontario. She will be remembered by her many friends and colleagues as a loyal and considerate friend, a meticulous scholar and a generous supporter of education, religion and those in need.  

 

John Howard Kunkel died in La Jolla, California on May 20, 2010.  He was born November 14, 1932 to Fritz and Elizabeth (Jensen) Kunkel in Berlin, Germany. He emigrated to the U.S. after World War II.  He graduated from Pomona College in 1954, and received his MA and PhD in 1959 from the University of Michigan. He taught sociology at Arizona State University from 1959 until 1972. He married Mary Oetjen on August 18, 1962, and they had two children Katharine and Michael. He was a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University in 1970. In 1972 they moved to Canada where John taught sociology and social psychology at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, and retired as Professor Emeritus in 1997.  He wrote many books, the most famous were Society and Economic Growth in 1970 and Encounters with Great Psychologists in 1989. He truly enjoyed teaching students the fundamental theories of human behavior, and enjoyed conversations on topics ranging from Greek philosophers to missionaries in tribal Brazil. For the last 10 years he lived with his companion Marilyn Edwards in La Jolla.?     

 

Founding faculty member of Western Engineering Edwin Nowak died May 20, 2010 in Burlington at the age of 77. Edwin Nowak, who had a distinguished career as a professor of Mechanical Engineering at Western (1962-1998), was founder of the UWO Accident Research Team. Active in the Polish Canadian Community, he was also the former president of Friends of the Catholic University of Lublin. Nowak had a huge heart and was always helping members of his family, friends and students and colleagues. Nowak is predeceased by his wife Charlotte and survived by his children Christine and Robert.  

 

Former University of Western Ontario Family Medicine faculty member, Dr. John Orchard, MD’58, died April 2 at the age of 84. Orchard had 14 years of service when he retired in 1985. He began his career as an optometrist in Exeter, Ont. He later returned to school and graduated from Western’s Faculty of Medicine in 1958. He practiced family medicine in the Oakridge Acres area in London for many years. In the early ’70s he practiced in Muncey, Ont. He established and became the founding director of the Southwest Middlesex Health Centre in Mount Brydges where he taught Family Medicine.