news&views Winter 2012 | Page 37

Gayle Kathleen Penton ( née Zimmel ) passed away on May 10 , 2012 , at the age of 63 . Born in Killam and educated in Edmonton , she moved to Calgary after graduation . She was a devoted teacher for the Calgary Catholic School District for twenty-eight years . After her retirement from teaching , Gayle worked as a pastoral care volunteer , and also volunteered in schools .
Lachlan Sinclair Phimester passed away in Peace River on August 2 , 2012 . He was 86 . A veteran of both the RCAF and the Army , he attended the University of Alberta for a year then completed his BEd with summer school in Edmonton , and evening courses in Grande Prairie . He also received an MEd in 1970 . Lachlan taught at Nampa School , T . A . Norris Jr ./ Sr . High School , and was principal at Peace River High School . In 1975 , he became Assistant Superintendent then later Superintendent for North Peace Catholic School Division . After his retirement , he worked as Superintendent for North Peace Catholic School Division and Spirit River School Division . Active in both the Anglican Church and Air Cadets , Lachlan enjoyed reading , gardening , travelling and woodworking .
Jean Larine ( Schmidt ) Taylor ( née Selthun ) passed away on August 29 , 2012 , at the age of 79 . She was born in Avonlea , Saskatchewan , and was a civil servant in Edmonton during the war . Jean studied the violin , was a member of the Edmonton Pops Orchestra , and took music at the Banff School of Fine Arts . She also studied Home Economics at the Vermilion Agricultural School . In 1973 , Jean obtained a BEd from the University of Alberta , and began a successful career as a kindergarten and remedial reading teacher . She moved to Victoria in 2003 .
Victoria Vera Wachowich passed away in Edmonton on September 14 , 2012 . She was 80 . Vicki spent her early years in the hamlet of Opal , studied Education at the University of Alberta , and graduated in 1943 . She began teaching in rural Alberta , then taught at Grandin School in Edmonton . Vicki also spent many years in Montreal working for Price Waterhouse before returning to Edmonton in
2007 . Vicki loved creative writing , and has published some of her poems and stories .
Joyce Wiedeman passed away in Edmonton on December 27 , 2011 , at the age of 89 . Born in Vandura , Saskatchewan , she spent her school years in Moosomin , Saskatchewan , and then moved to Ottawa where she joined the army during WWII . After marrying in 1945 , she and her husband settled in Schuler , Alberta , where she taught for many years . A volunteer for many organizations , she continued this work after retiring to Medicine Hat . Later , she moved to St . Albert to be near her family .
M . Joan Zimmerman , long-time resident of Grande Prairie , passed away on July 30 , 2012 , at the age of 76 . She was educated in Beaverlodge near where she grew up on a farm . Her initial teacher training was taken at the University of Alberta where she received her BEd in 1978 . Over a thirty-year teaching career , she taught in Edmonton and in the County of Grande Prairie , but mostly in the City of Grande Prairie . Joan was very talented in music , artwork , needlework and cooking .
In My Opinion continues from page 32
is possible on the letters page , for example .
We have been trying to run a little of our members ’ creative work . Magazines used to do that , and I believe that they still should . Since N & V is not a literary magazine , there is not a lot of room for poems and stories , but what little there is will be filled with what you send us .
A word about In Memoriam , the section in which we honour retired teachers who have passed away . First of all , as I mentioned in a previous issue , Alberta ’ s privacy laws prevent us from gaining direct access to sources that might inform us of deaths . It is important that branches and individual members send us the names of and relevant information about those whom we should include in the section . Please be aware , though , that this is not an obituary section . The N & V focus is on education and the contribution a deceased member has made to it . We will include age , and date and place of death , but we do not include a list of family members , nor do we include details of the death itself .
Last , I would invite you to be in touch with me . Little would please me more than to assist you with a piece of writing . You are also welcome to send a letter to the N & V letters page or to send me a note about concerns you might have about the magazine . The N & V email address is newsandviews @ shaw . ca . Email to that address comes directly to me ; but you can also contact N & V at the address on the table of contents page in the magazine .
ALBERTA RETIRED TEACHERS ’ ASSOCIATION News & Views Volume 19 21 , No . 32

35