Margaret Gillespie: Ken was not a typical boss

I met Ken in the spring of 1978, when he hired me to join the history department of Sir Wilfrid Laurier Collegiate Institute in Scarborough. Ken had an MA in history and was well known for his contributions to board-wide events such as the annual history conference. But the interview showed me that he was also a friendly, approachable person who did not need his ego massaged by others. When my answers to his questions showed him that our beliefs about the teaching of history were compatible, he immediately offered me the position.

Ken’s style was first among equals, not boss. He did not enjoy the administrative part of his job and he avoided this as much as possible. There were many PA calls into our workroom from one or other of the secretaries asking for some paperwork that was due yesterday. Ken led by example and gave each of us free rein to do things our way. But we were not a collection of lone rangers. There were continual conversations, sometimes heated, often hilarious, about all the issues that mattered to us: teaching methods, what the provincial government was doing in education, student goings-on, what the main office was changing in our school and world events such as the plight of the Palestinians, emerging proof of global warming and the harm of pollution, to name just a few. It was an always interesting and sometimes exciting department to work in.

Senior students often dropped in to continue discussions from class and Ken welcomed this. His goal was to encourage critical thinking and open-mindedness, and nothing pleased him more than to experience a student’s “a-ha” moment. We all wanted to equip our students for citizenship and Ken was keen to make learning as active as possible. When some people in China started pinning up their protests against Communist rule on the long wall in Xidan Street, Beijing, in late 1978, the world press flocked to give coverage. Ken decided we should have a Democracy Wall in Laurier and soon the glass walls of the library were covered with posters made by students as a result of class discussions of important issues.

Ken encouraged personal friendships in our department. He and Babs often hosted parties as did the rest of us. He also agreed to a teacher exchange which brought an Australian, Stephen Boyle (and his wife Sandra and toddler Kate) to work with us for a year. They arrived at the end of December at Pearson where Ken and Rudi were waiting laden with coats and boots. Soon we had a party to introduce Steve and Sandra to Canadian winter activities such as skating. Stephen enjoyed his time here and kept in touch with Ken for many years after his return home.

Ken was a staunch supporter and active promoter of human rights, but he was also a man of his generation when it came to women. He used to laugh that he was influenced as a young man by the macho Hollywood idols of the 40s. But he evolved. He hired me. Eventually, he even let me teach Grade 13. When I took maternity leave with my children, he was supportive; and, more important, when I came back as a half time (every other day) teacher, he remained supportive. At the same time another colleague, Peter Woods, became the father of twins. Ken noticed how being working parents changed our lives but did not make us lesser teachers. His ability and desire to continue to learn about our always changing world was one of his most notable qualities. Underneath everything was kindness to students and staff alike.

Working with Ken and the Laurier history department was a very stimulating and happy decade of my life. After Ken retired, my husband and I remained in touch with him and Babs, visiting them several times to share a meal and conversation. After Babs died, we kept in touch on the telephone mostly. Ken always had something to discuss, whether the book he was currently reading or the news of the day. He always asked how we and our children were doing and wanted details. Here was a man whose knowledge of history gave him an escape, but he didn’t take it. Instead, he used the perspective it gave to help him live in the present, right to the end. That old phrase, “a gentleman and a scholar” truly applies to Ken.