Catherine Humphreys: Mr. Tancock was a teacher of history and of life

Mr. Tancock was my Grade 9 and 10 history teacher. He retired when I was in Grade 11 – an early retirement age I am starting to envy – and I wrote a goodbye for his assembly. A lot of students used to think Mr. Tancock looked a bit like the Laurier statue in the foyer (or Laurier looked a bit like Mr. Tancock). 

We kept in touch over the years. His was always the first Christmas card I received, and it was always so interesting and with a beautiful photo he had taken. There were many visits to his home in Port Hope. I think one of my favourites was an impromptu one when I was returning to Kingston from Toronto and saw the turn off and thought, maybe he’s not busy. I called from a pay phone (as I write this now, I realize it must be a good 10 plus years ago) and said, “I’m sort of nearby.” I was around the corner at a grocery store. Another time we drove around Port Hope and looked at historic houses and he shared some local history with me. I love local history. 

He was someone who was very engaged with the world. I was lucky enough to be included at a family gathering on Labour Day at 5 King Street as I happened to be in Toronto and had called Mr. Tancock to see if I could stop by for a visit. I remember his daughter Wendy saying “before there was Google, there was Dad.” So true - but with much more reliable search engine features. 

Sometimes in life, you have one of those teachers that notices you at exactly the right moment and makes you think differently – about the world and about yourself. Mr. Tancock was that teacher for me. 

I am still interested in history. I love going to museums and being alive when mysteries are solved, like the Erebus and the Terror from the Franklin expedition. But my favourite thing is how we carry forward the desires and works of others. It can be hard to realize change in a lifetime, but it doesn’t stop when we do. Others will discover it and bring it to light or continue the work. We reach back, fingertip to fingertip, barely touching, to generations and times that came before. 

We should all be so fortunate to have such a wonderful teacher of history and of life. My sincere condolences to the family, friends, students and colleagues of Mr. Ken Tancock.

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